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l8o8.  HISTOP^^CAL  1876. 

MANUAL 

OF   THE 

Presbyterian   Church 

OF 

GLEN'S  FALLS,  N.  Y. 


CONTAINING     THE    CENTENNIAL     HISTORICAL     DISCOURSE     OF     THE 

PASTOR  — PREACHED    ON     THE     THIRTIETH     ANNIVERSARY 

OF    HIS    MINISTRY   TO   SAID   CHURCH,  OCT.    I,   1876. 


c^ppijoved  by  the  Session, 


GLEN'S  FALLS,  N.  Y.: 

The  Messenger  Printing  Establishment. 

1876. 


CONTENTS. 

6 

10 

Assembly,  General.              

9 

12 

13 

43 

Boardman    William                                                     .... 

19 

Bacon   AVilliani 

23 

.39 

-14 

4.5 

67 

64 

Church    Spiritual  Kingdom 

.5 

Invisible 

5 

Visible                                  

.5 

5 

5 

Officers  of 

6,  7,  8 

.55 

10 

Confession  of  Faith                                   

10 

Committees  Building 

1.5.  .31 

Clark,  Billy  J..                 33        1 

8 

Doctrine 

10 

Discipline 

29 

6,48 

17 

Fennel  A  J 

.30 

43,  45 

16 

Glen,  Jacob                                                             

16 

Goodrich,  S.  P 

IT 

29 

Great  Fire 32 

History 11-41 

Hendrick 13 

Judicatories 9 

Moss,  John  Jr 17 

Ministers  f  rona  this  Church . . . , 65 

Ministers,  Wives 67 

Members 55 

Newton,  E.  H 26 

Norris,  Wm.  T 38 

Notices 54 

Osborn,  Myron 38 

Presbyters 7 

Pastors 7 

Presbytery 9 

Paul,  Anthony • 14 

Pearl  Village 16 

Russell,  Abial 18 

Rodgers,  R.  K 31 

Ray,  J.  W 29 

Session 9 

Synod 9 

Scriptures 10 

Standards 10 

Sears,  R 20 

Scovill,  J.  F 27 

School,  Old  and  New 28 

Tallmage,  Sara'l  S 39 

Trustees 50 

Sunday  School 35 

Williams,  Ephraim 12 

Wing,  Abraham 16 

Wing,  Henry 39 


I.— OF    THE    CHURCH. 


I.  The  Church  of  Christ  is  a  spiritual  kingdom.  My  kingdom 
is  not  of  this  worM.—]ESVS.  The  weapons  of  our  warfare  are  not 
carnal. — Paul. 

II.  Tlie  Invisible  Church  consists  of  the  whole  body  of  those  who 
are  saved  by  Christ,  out  of  all  mankind.  This  is  the  Catholic  Church, 
which  shall  finally  be  the  Church  Triumphant  in  heaven,  Not 
having  spot  or  wrinkle — Holy  and  without  tdemish. — Eph.  5:  27. 
Confession  of  Faith,  25th  chap. 

III.  The  llsiblc  Church  consists  of  the  whole  body  of  those  who 
make  profession  of  the  true  religion,  out  of  all  mankind,  together 
with  their  children. — Gen.  17:  7;  Acts  2:  39;  Acts  16:  15;  Also, 
Form  of  Gov't,  2d  chap. 

IV.  A  Particular  Church  consists  of  a  number  of  professing 
Christians,  and  their  children,  composing  one  congregation,  and 
meeting  together  statedly  for  divine  worship — as  the  church  in  the 
house  of  Priscilla  and  Aquila;  and  as  the  churches  of  Judea. 

CONSEQUENT    TRUTHS. 

1.  The  Church  and  the  State  are  different  and  independent  bodies, 
each  existing  of  its  own  divine  right. 

2.  Variety  of  denominations  in  the  church  does  not  destroy  its 
unity. 

3.  The  term  Catholic  or  Universal  is  applicable  alike  to  either 
the  Invisible  or  Visible  Church. 

4.  For  any  denomination  to  arrogate  to  itself  alone  the  term 
Catholic  is  the  greatest  schism. 

5.  The  children  of  church  members,  being  likewise  members,  are 
entitled  to  baptism. 


II.— OF    CHURCH    OFFICERS. 


I.  Presbyters  or  Elders.  These  words  are  synonyms.  Only 
the  latter  word  is  used  in  the  Bible;  though  Presbytery  is  used  in  one 
instance,  [I.  Tim.  4:  14,]  when  it  signified  a  body  of  elders.  These 
officers  were  in  every  completely  organized  church.  There  were 
Elders  in  the  church  at  Jerusalem*  iind  at  Ephesusf.  Paul  and  Bar- 
nabus  ordained  Elders  in  every  church  of  Lycaonia  and  the  region 
round  aboitt\.  Titus  was  left  in  Crete  to  ordain  elders  in  every  city§. 
Homer  celebrates  Crete  nearly  a  thousand  years  before  as  containing 
a  hundred  cities. 

The  Elders''  Duty  consists  in  taking  the  oversight  of  the  church 
in  its  spiritual  instruction  and  government.  Take  heed  unto  your- 
selves, says  Paul  to  the  elders  of  the  church  at  Ephesus,  and  to  all 
the  flock  over  the  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers., 
[Bis hops, "[  to  feed  the  church  of  Cod -which  He  hath  purchased  with 
His  own  l>lood\\.  Let  the  Elders  that  rule  well  be  counted  worthy  of 
double  honor,  especially  they  who  labor  in  the.  word  and  doctrine"''. 

HARMONY   OF   TITLES. 

I.  .Apostles.  These  were  extraordinary  anil)assadors,  appointed 
to  do  an  extraordinary  work,  for  which  they  were  specially  qualified: 

They  were  to  be  witnesses  of  the  life,  teachings,  death  and  resur- 
rection of  our  Lord.— Matt.  28:  20;  Luke  24:  48;  Acts  2:  32,  and 
10:  39-41. 

They  must  have  seen  Christ.-  -Acts  i:  21,  22,  and  26:  16;  L  Cor. 
15:  8,  and  g:  i. 

They  were  supernatural ly  guided.- -John  14:  26. 

They    were    endowed    with  miraculous   pov/ers.--Luke    lo:    19. 

*Actsl5:4,  6,  23.    tActs  20:  IT.    {Acts  14:  23.    §Titn8  1:  5.    llAct8  20:  28         | 
II.  Tim.  5:  17.  I 


The  use  of  these  was  a  sign  of  the  apostleship. — II.  Cor.  12:  12. 
Hence,  the  apostolic  office  was  temporary  and  the  Apostles  with- 
out successors. 

2.  Evangt'lists.—Y.^\\.  4:  11,  These  were  assistants  to  the 
Apostles  in  their  work  of  preaching  the  Gospel  and  organizing 
churches.  Philip  was  an  Evangelist— Acts  21:  8;  also,  Timothy— 
II.  Tim.  4:  5;  and  to  this  class  belonged  Titus.  Nowhere  called 
either  Apostles  or  Bishops,  they  were  Presbyters  without  office  over 
any  particular  church,  doing  under  apostolical  direction  the  work 
which  the  churches  in  their  first  formation  needed.  Timothy  was  not 
Bishop  of  Ephesus.  Ihat  church  had  several  Bishops— Acts  20:  28; 
nor  was  Titus  Bishop  of  Crete,  but  he  ordained  them  Bishops  in 
every  church.  When  these  Evangelists  had  finished  the  work 
assigned  them,  they  were  to  join  the  Apostle  again  where  he  appoint- 
ed.— II.  Tim.  4:  9;  Titus  3:  12. 

3.  Bishops.  This  title  was  given  to  Presbyters  or  Eiders  to 
define  their  office.  They  were  spiritual  overseers,  which  the  word 
signifies.  So  the  Elders  in  office  over  the  church  of  Ephesus  were 
Bishops;  so  the  Elders  which  Titus  was  to  ordain  Bishops  over  the 
churches  were  to  be  blameless,  &c.— Titus  1:7;  so  Paul  in  writing 
to  Tmiothy  comprises  all  the  officers  of  the  church  under  the  two 
titles  Bishops  and  Deacons  — I.  Tim.  3d  chap.;  and  so  in  writing  to 
the  Philippians  he  includes  all  the  officers  of  the  church  in  the  same 
terms,  Bishops  and  Deacons— VhW.  i:  i.  Thus  it  seems  plain  that 
Eidet  and  Bishop  were  convertible  terms— the  former  signifying  the 
grave  and  solid  character  implied  in  his  being  chosen  to  the  office; 
the  latter  defining  the  office  itself. 

Observations.  As  some  one  of  the  Elders  in  each  congregation, 
better  qualified  than  the  others,  would  naturally  be  chosen  to  preside 
in  their  meetings,  and  to  devote  hmiself  to  "labor  in  the  word  and 
doctrine,"  he  would  come  to  be  styled  the  Bishop;  and  thus  a  dis- 
tinction would  exist  between  him  and  the  other  Elders,  who  followed 
secular  callings.  This  seems  to  be  the  way  in  which  the  distinction 
arose  between  teaching  and  ruling  Elders.  It  came  to  pass;  it  was 
not  created  at  first.  Thus,  immediately  on  leaving  the  Apostles,  we 
find  Ignatius,  a  disciple  of  John,  making  frequent  mention  of  the 
Bishop,  Elders  and  Deacons,  just   as  we   should  say  now,  perhaps 


substituting  the  synonym  Pastor  in  the  place  of  BisJiop.  And  as  the 
best  historians  tell  us,  there  is  not,  for  the  first  two  centuries  of  the 
Christian  era,  an  instance  of  the  term  Bishop  being  used  in  any 
other  sense  than  as  above  stated.  [See  Mosheim,  Vol.  I.,  page  39, 
Maclaine's;  also,  Neander,  Vol.  I,  Article,  Church  Officers.]  And 
in  a  similar  manner,  it  is  claimed,  did  Episcopacy  rise  over  the  parity 
of  parish  Bishops  in  Presbytery.  At  length  the  Papacy  was  reached, 
and  that  held  sway  till  the  great  Reformation,  when,  throughout  all 
the  Reformed  Churches  on  the  Continent,  organized  and  presided 
over  by  theologians,  and  biblical  scholars  left  free  to  draw  their 
church  polity  directly  from  the  Word  of  God,  and  in  the  Reformed 
Church  of  Scotland,  the  Presbyterian  form  of  the  church  was  restored. 
Only  in  England — and  there  not  without  great  opposition — was  the 
church  left  with  its  old  polity,  except  that  the  King  was  put  in  the 
place  of  the  Pope. 

II.  Deacons.  Their  official  duty  is  to'take  care  of  the  poor.— 
Acts,  6th  chap.  To  them  also  may  be  committed  the  management 
of  the  temporal  affairs  of  the  church. 


I  I  I. —OF    THE    JUDICATORIES 

OF     THE     PRESBYTERIAN     CHURCH     IN     THE    UNITED    STATES. 


1.  The  Church  Session  consists  of  the  Pastor  or  Pastors  and 
Ruling  Elders  of  a  particular  congregation, 

2.  ".4  Prcsbvterv  consists  of  all  the  Ministers,  [and  there  must 
be  at  least  five,]  and  one  Elder  from  each  congregation,  within  a 
certain  district." 

3.  A  Synod  consists  of  all  the  Ministers  and  one  Ruling  Elder 
from  each  congregation,  within  at  least  three  Presbyteries. 

4.  The  General  Assembly  consists  of  an  equal  delegation  of 
Bishops  and  Ruling  Elders — every  Presbytery  containing  twenty-four 
Ministers  or  less,  sending  one  of  each;  and  every  Presbytery  con- 
taining more  than  twenty-four,  in  the  same  proportion. 


V. —DOCTRINE. 


The  Supreme  yudge,  by  which  all  controversies  of  religion  are  to 
1)6  determined,  and  all  decrees  of  councils,  opinions  of  ancient  writers, 
doctrines  of  men,  and  private  spirits,  are  to  be -examined,  and  in 
whose  sentence  we  are  to  rest,  can  be  no  other  but  the  Holy  Spirit 
speaking  in  the  Scripture.  —  Confession  of  Faith,  cliap.  /.,  sec.  lo. 

A  book  of  about  500  pages,  called  The  Constitution  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  the  United  States — containing  the  Westminster 
Confession  of  Faith,  the  Longer  and  Shorter  Catechisms,  the  Form 
of  Government  and  Rules  of  Discipline,  Directory  for  Worship,  the 
Ten  Commandments,  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  Apostles'  Creed-  is 
received  by  us,  next  to  the  Scriptures,  as  owy  Standard  m  Aoc\.x\ne 
and  Hu/e  of  life.  All  officers  of  our  church,  including  Ministers, 
Elders  and  Deacons,  are  required  to  reply  to  the  following  questions 
in  the  affirmative: 

Do  you  believe  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  to 
be  the  word  of  God,  the  only  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice  ? 

Do  you  sincerely  receive  and  adopt  the  confession  of  faith  of  this 
church,  as  containing  the  system  of  doctrine  taught  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures  ? 

Do  you  approve  of  the  government  and  discipline  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  these  United  States  ? 

Do  you  promise  to  study  the  peace,  unity  and  purity  of  the 
church  ? 


munica 


v.— HISTORY. 


The  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  America  was  that  of  Kehoboth 
or  Snow  Hill,  in  Maryland,  organized  in  1684  by  Francis  McKemic. 

The  First  Presbytery  was   that   of  Philadelphia,  organized   with 
sa'cn  ministers,  1705. 

The  First  Synod  w^f,  that  of  Philadelphia,  organized  with  twen- 
ty-sez>en  ministers,  in    1717. 

The  First  General  Assembly  met  in  Philadelphia  in  May,    1789. 
The  church  then  had  177  ministers  and  400  congregations. 

We   now   have   5010  ministers,  4999  churches  and  506,034  com- 
licants. 

The  following  discourse,  with  the   notes,  is  given   as  containing 
the 

HISTORY  OF  THIS  PARTICULAR  CHURCH. 

I.  Cor.  9:  ij.  -A  dispensation  of  the  Gospel  is  committed  unto  me. 
This  current  year  is  the  centennial  of  the  United  States  as  a 
separate  and  independent  Nation.  And  even  the  period  of  our 
minority,  during  which  we  had  a  colonial  existence  in  this  land, 
how  brief  was  that,  when  three  hundred  years  ago  thegf  could  not 
have  been  more  than  a  few  hundred  white  men  on  the  whole  territory 
now  subject  to  our  flag.  Only  a  century  and  a  quarter  ago,  these 
hills  about  us,  and  these  plains  and  ridges  and  river-banks,  where 
our  farms  are  now  tilled,  where  our  stores  and  mills  and  houses  and 
churches  now  stand,  where  the  hum  of  toil  and  trade  is  ever  heard, 
and  where  prayer  and  praise  habitually  ascend,  were  almost  wholly 
an  unbroken  forest. 


This  township  was  intermediate  land  lying  between  the  possessions 
of  powerful  and  hostile  Indian  tribes  ;  also,  it  lay  between  the 
English  settlements  on  the  South  and  the  French  on  the  North  ; 
througli  it  was  one  of  the  two  paths  of  the  "great  carrying-place  " 
between  Fort  Edward  on  the  Hudson  and  navigable  waters  north- 
ward. Names  oftentimes  are  landmarks  4^  history  — as  the  Indian 
ones  Mohawk  and  Saratoga,  Adirondack  and  Sacandaga;  the  French 
ones  Vermont,  Champlain,  Saint  Sacrament  and  Schroon;  the  English 
ones  Lake  George,  Queensbury,  Kingsbury,  Fort  Edward  and  White- 
hall. These  places,  and  many  others  with  which  we  are  famiUar, 
and  among  which  we  dwell,  suggest  the  olden  time  when  the  two 
great  nations  of  the  Old  World  faced  each  other  here  in  contest  for 
the  possession  of  the  New. 

In  August,  1755,  ''•'^  William  Johnson,  with  tiie  army  tliat  fought 
and  gained  the  battle  of  Lake  George  on  the  8th  of  September* 
following,  opened  a  military  road  between  Fort  Edward  and  the 
lake,  which  he  then  named  after  the  reigning  King,  George  II. 
"At  this  lake,"  he  writes,  "no  house  was  ever  built,  nor  a  rod  of 
land  cleared."  Daring  the  five  years  following  this,  some  of  the 
largest  armiesf  that  had  then  ever  been  gathered  on  this  continent 
passed  and  repassed  through  this  township;  and  almost  daily, 
scouts,  or  detachments  of  soldiers,  or  army  trains,  were  upon  the 
road.  Three  stockade  forts  were  built  along  the  way  for  defense -- 
one  near  George  Brown's  Hotel,  one  at  the  Half- Way  Brook,  and 
one  near  Richards's  steam  saw-mill.  These,  after  a  while,  opened 
the  forest  around  them.  The  successful  campaign  of  Gen.  Amherst 
in  taking  Ticonderoga  in  1759,  drove  all  enemies  from  this  region, 
and  left  it  to  be  peaceably  .settled  by  the  English.  The  Lieutenant 
Governovpf  the  provmce  of  New  York  proclaimed  the   country  safe 


*It  was  in  the  "  bloody  morning:  scout "  of  this  day  that  Col.  Ephraim 
Williams,  founder  of  Williams  College,  was  killed  near  the  spot  where  his 
monument  now  stands,  and  near  where  there  ousht  to  be  a  monument 
also  to  the  Mohawk  Chief  Hendrick,  who  fell  at  the  same  time. 

tAbercrombie's  army,  going  to  its  terrible  defeat  before  Ticonderoga  in 
1758,  could  not  have  numbered  less  than  16,000— the  French  estimated  it  at 
20.000  to  25,000.  And  Gen.  Amherst's  force,  the  next  year,  was  12.000; 
Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point  both  falling  easily  into  their  hands. 


from  Albany  to  Crown  Point  ;  and  for  the  encouragement  of  any 
who  might  choose  to  settle  between  Fort  Edward  and  Lake  George, 
he  stated  that  they  would  there  find  three  cleared  spots— one  four 
miles  from  Fort  Edward  and  one  three  miles  from  Lake  George,  each 
capable  of  containing  half  a  dozen  families  :  and  one  at  Half- Way 
Brook,  capable  of  containing  twelve  families  ;  and  he  promised  that 
the  barracks  on  these  places  should  be  left  for  their  accommodation. 

Leaving  now,  for  a  time,  the  savage  and  the  soldier,  we  are  glad 
to  greet  the  first  permanent  settlers,  men  of  peace.  Queensbury— 
named  from  the  young  bride  of  George  IIL,  then  only  in  the  second 
year  of  his  reign— was  granted  by  patent  to  twenty-three  persons,  all 
but  two  living  in  New  Fairfield,  Conn.,  on  the  20th  of  May,  1762. 
In  less  than  two  months  from  the  date  of  the  patent,  it  had  changed 
hands  and  was  held  by  thirty-one  persons,  nearly  all  of  whom  were 
residents  of  Dutchess  County.  The  same  summer  and  fall,  accom- 
panied by  one  of  the  proprietors,  Mr.  Abraham  Wing,  the  township 
was  surveyed  by  Zebulon  Towner.  They  found  accommodations  at 
the  barracks  on  Half- Way  Brook  with  Mr.  Jeffrey  Cooper,  who  had 
received  a  permit  from  Gen.  Amherst  to  reside  there  "for  the 
preservation  of  the  barracks  and  the  conveniency  of  passengers." 
Tliis  Mr.  Cooper,  whose  name  afterwards  appears  among  those  of 
citizens,  seems  to  have  been  the  first  permanent  resident  of  the  town. 
Mr.  Abraham  Wing,  with  several  persons  not  proprietors,  came  to 
reside  in  1764.  Nearly  all  the  first  settlers  belonged  to  the  Society 
of  Friends.  At  one  of  their  monthly  meetings  in  Dutchess  County  in 
1767,  the  settlers  in  Queensbury  were  granted  leave  to  hold  meeting 
on  each  First  day  at  twelve  o'clock:  and  they  were  to  make  report 
if  possible  once  in  three  months. 

Between  the  date  of  the  first  settlement  and  the  beginning  of  the 
Revolutionary  War  were  only  about  ten  years— when  this  whole 
region  again  became  highway  between  hostile  armies.  The  growth 
of  the  settlement  was  not  only  arrested,  the  township  was  almost 
depopulated.  Loyalists  fled  to  Canada,  some  of  them  joining  the 
British  army;  while  those  who  favored  the.  cause  of  Independence 
fled  down  the  river  to  their  early  homes,  or  enlisted  as  patriots.  The 
mills  and  many  of  the  houses  were  burned;   and  partisan  strife  among 


the  few  that  remained  added  to  the  horrors  of  the  ahnost  every  day 
presence  of  unfriendly  Indians  and  a  lawless  soldiery.  After  the 
close  of  the  war,  old  and  rankling  animosities  burned  lor  years  in  the 
hearts  of  not  a  few  who  returned  and  reclaimed  their  possessions. 
The  population  now  increased  somewhat  rapidly  over  the  whole 
township;  at  the  close  of  the  century  the  northern  part  was  more 
thickly  settled  than  the  southern.  The  first  house  of  worship  was 
built  of  logs  by  the  Friends  about  1786,  on  the  west  side  of  Bay  Road 
and  south  of  Half- Way  Brook.  Here  also  was  the  first  burying- 
place.  The  next  was -built  aliout  ten  years  afterward,  likewise  of 
logs,  by  the  Baptists,  near  the  Round  Pond.  Its  first,  and  I  do  not 
know  but  its  only  minister,  was  Rev.  Rufus  Bates.  His  parish 
extended,  not  only  over  the  whole  township,  but  somewhat  indefi- 
nitely into  the  region  beyond;  and  at  one  time,  about  the  beginning 
of  the  present  century,  his  entire  membership  it  has  been  thought 
could  not  have  been  less  than  two  hundred.  The  third  church 
building  in  the  town  was  another  one  by  the  Friends,  a  commodious 
structure  on  Ridge  Road,  erected  in  1800. 

We  come  now  to  the  time  when  the  Presbyterian  element,  which 
had  come  in  with  new  settlers,  began  to  make  itself  manifest.  Except 
the  Rev.  Anthony  Paul — supposed  to  have  been  educated  by  President 
Wheelock,  and  duly  licensed  in  Connecticut — who  preached  around 
the  sliores  of  I^ake  George,  there  had  never  been  a  Presbyterian 
minister  resident  in  the  county,  and  it  is  presumed  that  there  had 
never  been  heard,  except  from  this  Christian  Indian*,  but  few  Pres- 

*It  BPems  certain  that  Paul's  wife  was  a  dansrhter  of  Sampson  Occuni, 
whom  Mr.  Whee'ock  educated  and  introduced  into  the  ministry.  Occiira 
visited  England  with  his  instructor,  and  there  preached  to  crowds  By  the 
interest  which  he  led  Lord  Dartmouth  to  take  in  the  education  of  his  people, 
he  had  an  agency  in  founding  Dartmouth  College. 

Paul  took  up  his  residence  in  liolton  at  a  very  early  period,  after  perhaps 
living  for  a  while  within  the  northern  limits  of  this  township.  '•  He  was," 
writes  the  Rev.  Courtney  Smith,  who  had  seen  him  in  his  youth,  "a  fall- 
blooded  Indian  and  a  Mohetran.  He  received  au  acadernical  education 
somewhere  in  Connecticut  and  was  licensed  to  preach  by  a  Congregational 
Association.  Those  New  England  Christians  in  my  native  town  thought 
well  of  him,  and  listened  to  his  discourses  with  satisfaction.  He  officiated 
at  the  first  funeral  in  the  settlement,  that  of  an  aunt  of  mine.  But— but — 
he  had  an  Indian's  appetite  and  became  intemperate;  was  sometimes 
artistically  drunk,  and  the  good  people  whom  he  had  edified  were  compelled 
to  discard  him.    He  was  last  seen  embarking  in  a  canoe  to  go  down  the 


byterian  sermons.  The  Methodists  had  a  flourishing  society  on  the 
Ridge,  which  had  grown  out  of  the  preaching  of  Lorenzo  Dow;  and 
in  Johnsburgh  they  had  a  society  watched  over  by  the  local  preacher 
David  Noble.  Nearly  forty  years  had  passed  since  the  settlement  of 
the  town,  and  as  yet  we  had  here  no  name.  Moreau  already  had  a 
Congregational  Church,  with  two  houses  of  worship,  and  was  just 
settling  a  pastor,  the  Rev.  Lebbeus  Armstrong.  This  may  have 
somewhat  interested  and  aroused  the  people  here.  The  village 
occupying  this  spot,  then  called  Pearl  Village,  had  become  a  place 
of  considerable  trade,  had  a  good  hotel,  mills  on  the  falls,  and  a 
somewhat  large  number,  in  proportion  to  the  whole  population,  of 
intelligent  and  enterprising  citizens.  The  movement  for  a  house  of 
worship  seems  to  have  been  spontaneous  and  general,  and  there 
being  as  yet  no  churcli  organization,  it  tooli  both  the  form  and  name 
of  an  Union— and  the  house  thus  built  was  for  many  years  occupied 
by  different  denominations.  A  subscription  "to  build  a  house  of 
publick  worship  in  the  Town  of  Queensbury,  County  of  Washington*, 
somewhere  near  the  Four  Corners,"  was  drawn  up  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1803.  On  the  first  day  of  June  following,  the  number  of 
subscribers  having  reached  thirty-eight  and  the  aggregate  amount 
$974,  "a  majority  of  the  subscribers  being  met,"  a  committee  of 
sevenf  were  appointed  to  collect  the  sums  subscribed  and  erect  the 
church.  With  this  inadequate  amount  it  could  not  have  been  expect- 
ed that  the  house  would  soon  be  finished.  It  was  probably  soon 
raised  and  enclosed.  Three  years  afterward,  June  ist,  1806,  the 
number  of  subscribers  had  reached  eighty-one  and  the  amount 
$1292.50.  Afterward  we  find  names  increasing  the  whole  number 
of  contributors  to  ninety-nine.     The  society  elected  trustees^   and 

lake— not  quite  "the  last  of  the  Mohegan.","  for  two  of  his  sons  had  their 
habitations  somewhere  below  "the  Nurrows,"  one  of  whom  I  was  wont  to 
see.  and  whose  fiddle  I  have  danced  after  in  the  days  of  my  youthful 
exploitations." 

*Warren  County  was  not  set  ofi'  from  Washington  till  1813. 

tThis  committee  consisted  of  Micajah  Petit.  William  Robards.  John  V. 
W.  Huyck,  Peter  Peck,  John  Mallory.  Warren  Ferris,  and  John  McGill. 

$The  first  trustees  were  William  Robards.  Daniel  Peck,  John  Folsom, 
William  Hay,  Micajah  Petit  and  John  A.  Ferris. 


effected  a  legal  organization  on  the  23d  day  of  July,  1807,  under  the 
name  of  the  "Union  Church  of  Pearl  Village*  in  the  Town  of 
Queensbury."  A  year  following  this,  30th  of  July,  1808,  the  trustees 
made  a  contract  with  Parsons  Ranger,  who  had  been  the  builder 
thus  far,  and  who  now  associated  with  him  Luther  Stebbins  of  Lake 
George,  to  complete  the  house  of  worship  for  $750.  The  work 
specified  as  then  remaining  to  be  donef,  shows  that  the  whole  five 

♦The  name  of  the  corporation  was  changed  to  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Glen's  Falls,  by  the  Legislature  in  1848. 

The  name  of  the  falls  at  this  place,  fonnd  in  the  papers  of  the  proprietors, 
1766  and  1T86,  was  "  Great  Palls."  As  Mr  Abraham  Wing  built  and  owned 
mills  on  the  falls,  they  naturally  came  to  bear  his  name,  and  were  called 
Wing's  Palls.  Meauwliile  there  was  a  strong  compel  itor  foi  the  name  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river.  A  Col.  John  Wlen  owuerl  a  large  tract  of  laud  there 
during  the  Revolutionary  War:  and  his  son  Jacob,  before  the  close  of  the 
last  century,  was  owner  of  mills  and  doing  business  on  that  side.  There 
has  fallen  into  ray  hands  a  copy  [certified  to  by  the  writer]  of  the  adver- 
tisement in  a  Philadelphia  paper  in  1798,  which  fell  under  Mr.  Polsom's 
notice,  and  brought  him  up  to  examine  the  Glen  property  here.  For  the 
light  which  it  throws  on  the  settlement  the  other  side  of  the  river,  I  quote 
a  portion  of  it:  "For  Sale— That  valuable  seat  known  a«i  Glen's  Falls, 
situated  in  the  Town  of  Northumberland,  County  of  Saratoga,  and  State  of 
New  York;  on  the  south  side  of  the  Hudson  River:  Ave  miles  west  of  b'ort 
Edward,  and  nine  miles  south  of  Lake  George;  with  grist-  and  saw-mills, 
and  all  other  buildings  thereon;   with  upwards  of  300  acres  of  land,  about 

140  of  which  are  under  improvement There  are  on  the  premises  a 

large  dwellinfi-honse,  with  six  fireplaces  on  the  floor;  a  large  Dutch  barn; 
a  mill-house  for  the  hands  attending  the  mills:  and  a  small  farm-house. 
The  saw-mills  are  superior  to  any  in  the  State.  The  gang-mill,  with 
fourteen  saws,  will  cut  a  log  fourteen  feet  long  in  fourteen  minutes  Prom 
March  to  December  the  mill  will  cut  .5000  logs,  and  to  run  nights  twice  that 
number.  There  is  a  bridge  across  the  Hudson  at  the  falls:  and  the  t'reat 
roads  from  Albany  and  Schenectady,  to  and  from  Canada,  both  by  Lake 
George  and  Skeenesborough,  are  over  this  bridge  and  through  this  farm: 
also  the  road  to  and  from  the  growing  country  called  Jessup's  &,  Sherman's 
patent.  The  situation  of  this  place  is  elegant  for  a  gentleman's  seat,  and 
equal  to  any  forextensive  and  profitable  business."  The  old  Glen  residence 
stood  on  the  blufl'  a  little  soath  of  the  paper-mill.  The  overshailowing 
claim  and  influence  of  Mr.  Glen,  and  the  pos.sibly  waning  use  of  Mr.  Wing's 
name  in  application  to  the  falls,  may  make  the  story  told  ihe  writer  by  the 
late  Mr.  Abraham  Wing,  that  his  Uit.her  abandoned  his  claim  to  the  name 
for  a  bottle  of  wine,  agree  very  finely  with  human  nature— if  it  must  go. 
why.  let  it  slide  for  any  trifle  that  can  be  had.  Whence  the  name  Pearl 
7i7Jo.(7e,  by  which  the  settlement  here  was  called  so  much  during  the  first 
years  of  the  present  century,  and  which  the  founders  of  this  church  honored 
by  attaching  it  to  the  corporation.  I  have  never  learned.  But  at  length 
Pearl  Villaije  and  the  Four  Corners  went  out  of  use,  and  gave  exclusive 
place  to  the' name  Glen's  Falls,  which  came  to  be  applied  to  the  village  as 
well  as  to  the  fall  of  water. 

+"  Make  all  the  sashes  for  paint,  and  glaze  the  said  church  throughout; 
paint  the  steeple;  put  what  work  is  necer^sary  and  proper  on  the  doors  and 


years  had  elapsed  without  the  building  reaching  a  proper  condition 
to  be  occupied.  It  was  now  completed  according  to  the  contract 
"within  the  space  of  live  months";  and  within  a  few  days,  Dec. 
l8th,  1808,  a  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Jonas  Coe  of  Troy, 
consisting  of  nine  members*,  all  of  whom  now  sleep.     The  pews  in 


windows  on  the  oatside;  lay  the  deck  floor  to  the  steeple  and  siel  the  same 
above;  make  the  railing  about  the  balcony;  case  and  make  a  door  from 
the  gallery  into  the  steeple;  make  plank  steps  to  each  door  outside;  put 
iron  gripes  on  the  gallery  beams:  make  the  pews  througtout  said  church, 
agreeable  to  the  plan  drawn  by  John  Folsom;  finish  the  gallery  with  seats 
raised  in  the  ordinary  way;  make  two  flights  of  stairs  into  the  gallery; 
make  a  decent  pulpit;  lay  all  the  floors  necessary  in  the  house;  and  to 
furnish  all  the  materials  and  trimmings  necessary  for  finishing  said  church 
complete  in  every  part,  [except  the  paints,  oil  and  glass,  and  materials  for 
putty,  which  the  said  trustees  are  to  deliver  on  the  spot] — the  said  Parsons 
and  Luther  to  complete  the  whole  remaining  part  of  the  church  not  already 
done,  both  mason's  and  joiner's  work,  with  good  materials,  at  their  own 
expense — from  the  lower  part  of  the  sills  to  the  wooden  ball  of  the  steeple, 
including  painting  the  whole  within  and  without." 

♦The  following  are  the  names:  John  Folsnm[\'\,  Solomon  P.  Good- 
richl2}.  Elizabeth  Folsom(S),  Ann  Ooodrich(i),  Glorianna  Folsofn(5), 
Mary  FolsoviK),  John  Moss,  ./r.[7].  Xaomi  Ranger(S),  Amy  Sanford(9) . 

John  Polsom  and  John  Moss,  Jr.,  were  the  first  elders— elected  and 
installed  when  the  church  was  organized. 

[l]Mr.  Folsom  was  born  in  Stratfonl,  Conn  ,  in  May,  1756.  His  parents  were  members  of  the 
Euiscopal  Church.  In  early  life  he  canm  to  All^an.v.  whtre  he  followed  the  business  of  a  silver- 
smith. In  that  city  he  became  a  memlier  of  the  I'irst  Presbyterinn  Church,  in  which  be  served 
for  some  time  as  a  ruling  elder.  He  came  to  Glens  Falls  in  1806.  having  purchased  the  large 
Glen  property  on  the  other  side  of  the  rii  er.  The  first  year  of  his  residence  here  he  had  ten 
thousand  logs  in  the  river,  most  ot  which  were  floated  by  and  lost.  He  built  the  Folsom  mansion, 
more  recently  called  the  Rice  mansion,  where  he  lived  as  farmer,  merchant,  lumberman,  and  even 
iiiaimfacturer  of  cotton  cloth— the  old  atone  building  that  used  to  occupy  the  spot  where  the  lower 
saw-mill  of  the  Morgan  Lumber  Company  now  stand.s.  was  once  a  cotton  factory  ruu  by  Folsom  & 
Gould.  He  owned  most  of  the  toll-bridge  across  the  river  at  the  falls.  His  counsel  aud  influence 
were  immediately  aud  strongly  felt  in  the  formation  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  contributed 
a  thousand  dollars  to  complete  the  nnfinisbed  church  building.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable 
wealth  and  of  great  business  enterprise.  A  close  student  of  the  gospel,  he  hired  the  old  academy 
on  Ridge  Street,  where  he  used  to  preach  the  Word,  and  at  length  built  the  Session  House,  where 
Mr.  Stillwell's  hardware  store  now  stands,  which  wa^  ticcupicd  as  a  place  for  week-day  meetings 
for  many  years ;  in  this  house,  it  having  been  fiuislicii  as  a  dupllinir,  he  died  in  August  1^.'19,  aged 
83  years.  Possessed  of  a  strong,  pure  and  magnetic  rhrnactri.  liiirial  with  his  ni.rney  and  earnest 
and  active  as  aChristian.a  licensed  minister  duriiu  ih-'  Inu^r  imrti.m  of  liis  life,  honored  and 
trusted  by  the  community,  his  name  is  yet  spoken  aiie-ngus  alnmst  with  reverent  remembrance, 
and  his  power  for  good  is  by  no  means  yet  exhausted. 

[7]  John  Moss,  Jr.,  brother  of  Edward,  w  ho  w.ts  afterward  likewise  an  elder  of  the  United  Chureh 
of  Kingsbury  and  Queensbury,  was  one  of  four  brothers  who  were  sons  of  John  Moss  who  came 
from  Conn. and  settled  in  Kingsbury  some  time  li'fnre  the  Revolution.  He  owned  a  large  tract 
of  land,  and  gave  his  name  to  the  street  on  \\  hirh  niurli  nf  it  was  situated.  John  Moss.  Jr.,  at  the 
time  of  the  organization  of  this  church.  l:^e■I  :it  SumIv  Hill,  and  was  owner  of  the  mills  at  the 
dam  a  little  this  side.  He  was  an  intelli-'eiit,  -  an-e-t  .nul  active  Christian,  and  like  Mr.  Folsom, 
conducted  meetings  in  his  neiEhborhneil.  t.  acliii]::  and  expounding  the  Scriptures  with  much 
wisdom  and  hdelity  Except  a  brief  resideuoe  in  llult-.-n  he  continued  an  active  elder  of  this 
church  and  fhaf  at  Sandy  Hill  till  183.i,  when  he  removed  to  Chazy,  where  he  soon  after  died. 

[2]Mr  Goodrich  was  a  native  of  Wefhersfield.  Conn.  Well  educated,  rehned  and  kindly  in  his 
disposition  and  habits,  he  made  teaching  his  profession,  and  performed  a  good  work  for  the  youth  of 
this  community,  during  the  early  years  of  the  present  century.  Previous  to  his  coming  here  he  had 
taught  with  success  iu  Utica  and  Troy;   and  coming  here  soon   after  his  father  in  law  arrived, 


the  new  church  were  sold  subject  to  rent;  and  this  was  probably  the 
way  by  which  the  money  was  raised  to  pay  for  the  finishing  work. 

Undoubtedly  before  this  time  Presbyterian  or  Congregational 
ministers  must  have  occasionally  been  here  and  preached — Mr.  Arm- 
strong had  already  been  the  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  in 
Moreau  for  five  years,  and  at  least  three  years  before  had  organized  the 
Congregational  Church  of  Kingsbury* — but  with  a  single  exceptionf 
I  cannot  learn  that  anyone  had  ever  been  employed  here  to  statedly 

« ; 

♦There  is  an  old  gentleman  now  living  in  Kingsbury  who  remembers  to 
have  been  present  when  the  church  was  organized  by  Mr.  Armstrong,  at  a 
private  house  about  four  miles  north  of  Sandy  Hill,  in  1804  or  5.  It  is 
evident,  too,  that  this  church  antedates  the  church  of  Queensbury,  for  it  is 
a  part  of  the  record  of  the  organization  of  this  church  that  the  churches  of 
Kingsbury  and  Morean  were  invited  to  participate  in  observing  the  Lord's 
Supper  on  that  occasion. 

+In  186S  Miss  Betsey  Ranger,  since  deceased,  informed  the  writer  that 
she  remembered  eoing  to  school  to  a  Presbyterian  minister  by  the  name  of 
Russell,  who  taught  during  the  week  and  preached  on  Sunday  in  a  building 
on  9ae  spot  now  occupied  by  the  residence  of  Dr.  Holden,  on  Elm  Street. 
She  remembered  hearing  her  mother,  who  was  one  of  the  original  nine 
members  of  this  church,  say  that  his  sermons  were  better  adapted  to  an  old 
and  established  congregation  than  to  the  one  then  gathered.  Dr.  Holden 
establishes  the  date  of  this  preaching  by  a  receipt  to  Reuben  Peck,  dated 
February  24,  1806,  for  a  quarter's  schooling,  14s  Gd,  and  a  quarter's  preach- 
ing, 24s— signed  Abial  Russell. 

he  eoDtiuued  to  follow  the  same  caUiiig.  For  many  years  he  was  the  schoolmaster  or  the  old 
academy  on  Ridge  Street:  and  in  this  building,  about  1815,  he  organized  and  superiuteuded 
the  first  Sunday  School  in  what  is  now  the  County  of  Warren.  He  became  an  elder  of  the 
church  in  1819,  and  held  the  office  till  his  death  in  1831. 

of  what  is  now  Brunswick,  Rensselaer  County,  and  was  of 


(D)Glorianna  Folsom  was  also  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Folsom. 

(6)  Mary  Folsom  was  a  niece  of  Mr.  John  Folsom. 

(9)Amy  Sanford  was  the  wife  of  David  Sanford  [who  was  elected  deacon  at  the  organization  nf  the 
church,  but  did  not  serve).  They  came  from  New  Milford,  Conn.,  and  .settled  on  Sauford's  Ridge,  in 
179.').  She  was  the  mother  of  George  Sanford.  who  thirty  years  ago  w.as  a  very  enterprising  and 
public  spirited  re-iident  of  this  village,  and  a  highly  esteemed  member  of  this  congregation.  He 
died  in  Syracuse,  in  1.S62. 

{S)Naomi  [Torryl  Ranger  was  the  wife  of  Parsons  Banger,  builder  of  the  church.  She  was  born 
in  Williamstown,  Mass., May  1, 1771,  and  was  a  ■laiiKlit' r  nt  onr  ..I  tli,-  provincial  militia  who  was 
captured  in  this  town  in  1757.  He  was  tak./ii  lii  i';ui,m1;i,  uuil  aliiruard  released  or  made  his 
escape.  The  romance  of  the  story  is,  that  this  .lantjlitri  ni  ihr  .\iiiiui.  d  soldier,  thirty-seven  years 
after  the  Indians  carried  him  away,  camo  li«.- to  in ,  and  «a- inun-iod  within  a  mile  or  two 
of  the  spot  where  her  father  was  taken.     She  died  .lau .10,  IsM. 

I  have  thus  gone  through  the  names  of  those  who  formed  the  church  at 
the  beginning,  to  ascertain  and  record  the  source  whence  they  came.  And 
we  see  that  all  but  one  [Mrs.  Folsom]  wereof  New  England  blood;  and  allot 
thesebutoneEMrs.  Ranger,  from  Williamstown. IweieofCiinnecticutorigin. 


19 


preach  the  Word.  The  Rev.  William  Boardman  was  the  first 
resident  minister  of  the  church.  Commencing  his  labors  in  the  spring 
of  1809  and  closing  them  in  the  fall  of  181 1,  he  was  here  about  two 
years  and  a  half.  It  is  not  probable  that  he  was  installed.  He  came 
here  from  Duanesburgh,  near  Schenectady,  where  he  commenced  his 
ministry  in  1803,  and  where  he  had  been  pastor  therefore  for  six 
years.  He  was  a  native  of  Williamstown,  Mass.,  and  a  graduate  of 
Williams  College.  Vet  a  young  man*,  only  twenty-eight  years  of 
age,  scholarly,  earnest,  a  good  preacher,  very  genial  and  kindly  in 
all  social  relations,  there  is  evidence  existing  here  yet  that  he  was 
greatly  beloved,  and  that  his  departure  to  take  charge  of  a  church  in 
Newtown,  Long  Island,  was  much  regretted.  During  a  portion  and 
perhaps  all  of  the  time  that  Mr.  Boardman  preached  here,  he  also 
supplied  the  church  at  Sandy  Hill.  Indeed,  it  was  probably  during 
the  time  that  he  was  here  that  the  two  churches  became  consolidated, 
forming  the  "United  Church  of  Kingsbury  and  Queensburyf." 
These  two  churches,  harmoniously  uniting  in  one,  and  dividing 
between  them  the  services  of  one  minister  as  they  did  for  about 
twenty  years,  that  together  they  might  be  able  to  support  the  Gospel 
without  missionary  help,  afford  an  example  to  many  small  churches 
now  that  are  near  e^ich  other,  which  it  might  not  be  amiss  for  them 
to  appreciate  and  practice^ .     Mr.  Boardman's  salary  was  $350  in 

♦William  Boardman  was  born  iu  Williamstown,  Mass.,  Oct.  12, 1T81;  was 
educated  in  the  college  of  his  native  town;  was  ordained  and  installed  over 
the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Duanesburgh,  N.  Y.,  in  1803;  commenced 
preaching  in  Glen's  Falls  early  in  the  spring  of  1S09,  and  closed  in  Septem- 
ber, 1811,  supplying  at  Sandy  Hill  during  the  same  time;  he  lived  while 
here  on  Ridge  Street,  in  the  house  now  belonging  to  Mr.  Dix  and  occupied 
by  Albert  Blakesley;  was  installed  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Newtown,  L.  I.,  Oct.  22,  ISU;  here  he  continued  till  his  death 
March  4,  181S;  "  he  was  a  man  of  ardent  and  active  piety."  says  one  of  his 
successors,  "and  died  deeply  lamented."  His  wifewasaMies  Bloodgood  of 
Albany;  they  had  several  children  when  here. 

tA.tthe  very  beginning  of  the  year  1810,  Jan.  18th,  we  find  by  their  records 
that  the  session  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  here  were  discussing  the 
question  of  union  with  the  Congregational  Church  of  Kingsbury.  And  the 
next  June  we  find  the  session  meeting  at  Sandy  Hill,  and  examining  and 
receiving  members  to  the  church— implying  clearly  that  the  union  had  been 
consummated. 

Jl  think  it  worth  while  to  put  it  on  record  that  the  church  at  Glen's  Falls 
never  asked  nor  received  missionary  aid,  notwithstanding  in  its  early  days 
it  was  so  much  of  the  time  without  a  minister. 


this  village;   how  much  it  was  in  Sandy  Hill  I  have  not  learned. 

From  the  time  of  Mr.  Boardman's  leaving,  September,  1811,  to 
the  coming  of  Mr.  Rodgers,  in  Maixh,  1820,  there  were  eight  years 
and  a  half,  during  which,  with  a  single  exception,  it  does  not  seem 
that  the  church  enjoyed  the  stated  services  of  any  minister.  This 
exception  is  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Sears*,  who  seems  to  have  been  here 
for  at  least  six  months,  embracing  the  latter  half  of  1S12. 

January  8th,  1813,  the  trustees  purchased  of  Henry  Spencer  for 
$25,  "  an  acre  and  a  quarter  and  one  rod,  as  Glebe  for  the  use  of  the 
church."  This  became  what  we  now  know  as  the  "  Old  Burial- 
place."  That  it  was  designed  for  such  use  is  not  learned  from  the 
deed,  but  from  the  fact  that  it  was  immediately  put  to  this  use; 
and  the  next  spring,  May  10,  1813,  Mr.  Folsom,  who  was  collector 
and  treasurer  of  the  society,  was  authorized  to  "contract  with  some 
one  for  fencing  the  burymgiDlace."  Previous  to  this  lime  the  vdlage 
buryingground  was  on  the  bluff  now  occupied  by  the  old  stone 
church.  Also,  at  the  same  date  Mr.  Folsom  was  authorized  to 
"Purchase  a  bell  for  the  church,  provided  he  can  obtain  money  for 
the  purpose."  It  is  evident  that  he  succeeded,  for  in  his  account  as 
treasurer  we  find  the  iteins,  "Cash  for  bell,  $306,"  and  "Cash  for 
fetching  up  the  bell,  $3."  And  the  next  November,  1813,  Mr.  J. 
Cunningham  was  employed  to  "ring  the  bell  three  times  a  day  for 
the  use  of  the  village,  and  Sabbath  days  for  the  use  of  the  church, 
for  $40,  payable  every  six  months."  During  the  next  few  years  we 
only  get  glimpses  of  the  church  through  the  records  of  the  session 
and  the  trustees,  and  the  account  ol  the  treasurer:  We  find  the 
name  of  Dr.  Coe  of  Troy,  as  many  as  seven  times,  nearly  or  quite 
every  time  he  administered  the  ordinances  of  the  united  church;  the 
name  of  Dr.  Blatchford  of  Lansingburgh ;  of  Mr.  Fiinnan,  jMr. 
Clark,  Mr.  Tomb  of  Salem;  Mr.  Hardy,  (three  Sabljaths,)  Mr. 
Broxvnell,  Mr.  Griswold,  Mr.  Armstrong  of  Moreau.  Occurring  as 
these  names  do,  scattered  along  through  this  whole  period,  we  find 
in  this  fact  evidence  of  the  weak  condition  of  the  church,  that  it  was 


♦Mr.  Sears  boarded  with  Edmund  Peck,  and  had  his  study  in  the  chamber 
of  the  flne  new  house  which  Mr.  Peck  had  built  two  or  three  years  before, 
and  which  is  standing  now  on  the  corner  of  Ridge  and  Sanford  Streets. 


not  able  to  command  stated  preaching.  It  should  however 
be  recorded,  as  yet  in  the  remembrance  of  some  now  living,  that 
religious  services  were  maintained  much  of  this  time  by  Mr. 
Folsom  and  Mr.  Goodrich— Mr.  Folsom  preaching  the  Word*. 
There  seems  to  have  been  much  more  than  ordinary  interest  and  life 
in  the  church,  especially  at  Sandy  Hill,  in  1816-17.  At  a  communion 
administered  by  Dr.  Coe,  Nov.,  1816,  twenty-five  persons  were 
admitted  to  the  church;  and  the  next  March  thirteen  by  Mr.  Arm- 
strong. And  as  though  Providence  was  preparing  the  way  for  a 
pastor,  and  at  the  same  time  showing  that  he  could  work  and  give  a 
measure  of  prosperity  without  one,  at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  just 
before  Mr.  Rodgers's  arrival,  the  session,  which  for  almost  the  whole 
time  of  the  church's  existence  had  consisted  of  the  two  original 
members f,  was  increased  by  the  addition  of  six  persons— John 
Thomas,  Luther  Johnson,  S.  P.  Goodrich,  Samuel  Cranston,  Dan. 
Beaumont,  and  Edward  Moss— who  were  ordained  by  Dr.  Coe  in  the 
Court  HouseJ  at  Sandy  Hill,  January  30,  1820. 

We  come  now  to  the  first  regular  pastorate  of  the  church— one 
extending  over  considerable  time  and  having  a  good  degree  of 
success.      Ravaud  K.  Rodgers§,  a  grand-son  of  one  of  the  early  and 

♦This  was  before  Mr.  Folsom  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel.  It  was 
sometime  daring  this  period  that  Mr.  Darius  Peck  remembers  to  have  been 
present  at  a  funeral  at  which  he  officiated.  And  I  am  glad  of  this  occasion 
to  say  that  I  deem  this  practice  of  an  elder  of  the  church  strictly  in  accord- 
ance with  usage  in  apostolical  days,  and  worthy  to  be  followed,  as  occasion 
may  offer,  by  any  of  our  ruliag  elders,  I  have  not  an  elder  of  my  church 
whom  I  would  not  rather  have  officiate  at  the  burial  of  one  of  mv  family 
than  to  call  in  a  stranger. 

tThere  are  three  names  appearing  as  members  of  the  session  in  1809  and 
1810— Jonathan  Harris,  Mathew  Scott,  and  Joseph  Caldwell.  Owing  to  the 
imperfect  manner  of  keeping  or  preserving  the  records  in  those  days,  the 
time  of  their  admission  to  the  church  is  not  known— their  names  are  not 
even  on  the  roll  of  members.  Mr.  Scott  was  appointed  to  attend  synod  in 
Utica,  Oct.,  1809. 

$The  present  church  edifice  and  the  first  one  built  in  Sandy  Hill,  was 
dedicated  the  I5th  of  Peburary,  1S27— sermon  by  Dr.  Beman  of  Troy  The 
Court  House  for  a  long  time  served  as  a  church  for  the  different  denom- 
inations. 

§Dr.  Rodgers  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York.  Nov.  .3, 1796.  His  father 
was  a  merchant;  his  grand-father  was  Rev.  John  Rodgers.  D.  D.,  Moderator 
of  the  first  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  1789;  he  gradu- 
ated ;it  Princeton  in  1815,  and  at  Princetou  Seminary,  1818;  he  was  licensed 
by  the  Presbytery  of  New  York,  April,  1818.  and  spent  the  next  winter  as 
a  missionary  in  Indiana.    After  his  return  from  this  mission  into  what  was 


prominent  ministers  of  New  York,  and  a  licentiate  of  the  Presl;ytery 
of  New  York,  was  spending  the  winter  of  1819-20  as  a  missionary  in 
the  bounds  of  what  was  then  the  Presbyteries  of  Columbia  and 
Champlain.  In  the  course  of  his  evangelistic  work  and  on  his  way 
northward,  he  spent  a  couple  of  Sabbaths  at  Sandy  Hill  and  (Jlen's 
Falls.  The  people  of  the  United  Church  were  so  pleased  with  him 
and  his  preaching,  that  on  his  return  in  March  he  was  invited  to 
remain  for  a  year  as  stated  supply,  in  the  hope  that  by  that  time  they 
might  be  in  a  situation  to  give  him  a  call  for  a  permanent  settlement. 
His  acceptance  of  this  invitation,  and  how  the  hope  of  the  church 
was  realized,  may  be  easily  inferred  from  the  following  minute  on 
the  fly-leaf  of  the  church  register,  in  Mr.  Rodgers's  own  fine  hand- 
writing: "On  Wednesday,  the  14th  day  of  March,  1821,  Ravaud 
K.  Rodgers  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry,  and 
installed  pastor  of  the  United  Church  of  Kingsbury  and  Queensbury. 
(Jn  this  occasion  a  sermon  was  delivered  by  the  Rev.  Jonas  Coe,  D. 
D.,  of  Troy,  from  II.  Timothy,  4:  i,  2.  The  Rev.  Samuel  Tomb  of 
Salem  presided  and  made  the  consecrating  prayer.  The  Rev. 
Nathaniel  S.  Prime  of  Cambridge  gave  the  charge  to  the  pastor;  and 
the    Rev.  Ethan   Smith  of  Hebron  addressed   the   people*."     Mr. 

then  the  far  west,  he  was  appointed  to  another  within  the  boundary  of  the 
Presbyteries"  of  Columbia  and  Champlain— these  included  the  whole  of 
Northern  New  York,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson,  extending  from 
Dutchess  County  to  the  Canada  line,  and  west  of  the  Hudson  embracing  the 
County  of  Greene.  His  [14th  of  March.  1821,]  was  the  first  installation  of 
the  Presbytery  of  Troy,  which  had  been  set  off  from  Columbia  in  1820.  Mr. 
Rodgers's  salary  was  to  be  $500,  preaching  every  alternate  Sabbath  in  each 
place.  He  was  married  by  Dr.  Coe  of  Troy  to  Miss  Caroline  W.  Thomas, 
daughter  of  John  Thomas  of  Sandy  Hill.  Oct.  10,  18'21,  and  resided  in  that 
village  during  the  whole  of  his  pastorate  here.  In  1830  he  was  installed 
over  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Bound  Brook,  N.  J.,  where  he  maintained 
a  prosperous  pastorate  for  forty  years.  He  was  honored  with  D.  D.  by 
Rutger's  College  in  1856.  He  was  an  excellent  scribe,  and  stated  clerk  of 
the  Synod  of  New  York  for  many  years.  Now.  an  octogenarian,  living 
with  a  daughter  in  Athens,  Georgia,  "  the  grasshopper  somewhat  of  a 
burden,"  as  he  himself  writes,  he  is  quietly  and  calmly  waiting  to  enter 
into  rest. 

*At  the  commencement  of  Mr.  Rodgers's  pastorate,  persons  received  by 
letter  were  required  by  resolution  of  the  session  to  enter  into  covenant — 
previous  to  this  it  would  seem  that  this  had  not  been  done. 

In  April,  1823,  the  session  acknowledge  the  gift  of  a  quarto  Bible  for  the 
pnlpit,  by  Dr.  Bethuel  Peck. 

In  182T  the  town  of  Queensbury  was  canvassed  by  a  committee,  and  one 
hundred  and  four  families  were  found  without  the  Bible. 


23 


Rodgers's  farewell  sermon  to  the  congregation  at  Glen's  Falls  was 
on  the  eighth  anniversary  of  his  settlement,  March  14th,  1829; 
although  the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation  did  not  take  place 
till  the  28th  of  April  following,  at  Pittstown.  His  entire  ministry  to 
the  church,  therefore,  it  will  be  seen,  extended  through  nine  years. 
The  United  Church,  on  petition  of  members,  had  already  been 
divided  by  the  presbytery  into  two  distinct  churches,  August  27th, 
1827,  to  be  known  as  "The  Presbyterian  Church  of  Sandy  Hill  " 
and  "The  Presbyterian  Church  of  Glen's  Falls."  Mr.  Rodgers 
continued  pastor  of  the  church  at  Sandy  Hill  till  Febmary,  1830, 
nearly  another  year.  During  the  nine  years  of  this  ministry  to  both 
congregations  there  were  received  to  the  church  on  profession  of  faith 
192  persons;  only  about  three-eighths  [73]  of  them  however  belonged 
to  the  branch  at  Glen's  Falls.  During  the  year  1824*  there  was  a 
very  deep  religious  mterest  in  both  places.  It  is  no  doubt  to  the 
communion  on  the  14th  of  March,  of  this  year,  that  the  Doctor  refers 
in  his  '■'■Fifty  Years  in  the  Ministry,''''  where  he  says,  "We  had  some 
seasons  of  delightful  refreshing  from  the  Lord.  I  can  never  forget 
one  of  commanding  interest,  when  nearly  one  hundred  persons  came 
out  from  the  world  and  took  the  vows  of  God  upon  them."  Nine 
years  ago,  in  my  "Historical  Sketch,"  the  first  discourse  delivered 
in  this  house,  1  took  occasion  to  refer  to  the  great  amount  of  discipline 
which  was  administered  in  the  year  1828.  It  astonished  me  that  a 
session  should  have  occasion  for  so  much  of  that  unpleasant  duty.     I 

*It  is  proper  that  I  mention  here  the  Rev.  William  Bacon,  minister  of 
the  church  in  Morean  at  this  time,  as  an  agent  who  greatly  promoted  this 
revival.  He  was  much  employed  during  his  whole  ministry  in  evangelistic 
labor;  and  in  the  general  and  deep  religious  awakening  throughout  this 
region  in  1824.  he  occupied  a  very  prominent  place  He  is  distinctly  and 
gratefully  remembered  by  some  of  the  old  residents  here  and  in  Moreau,  at 
the  present  day.  In  a  note  from  Dr.  Rodgers  he  says,  "  Mr.  Bacon  was  a 
wise  and  skillful  laborer  in  revivals,  and  his  services  were  much  sought 
after,  aad  were  crowned  with  great  success.  I  cannot  but  believe  that  if 
we  ever  get  home  to  a  belter  world,  we  shall  find  some  there  wearing 
bright  crowns  who  were  brought  into  the  kingdom  during  the  revival  of 
1824,  and  hailing  William  Bacon  as  the  instrument  of  their  being  brought 
to  the  cross."  Mr.  Bacon  was  born  in  August,  17S9;  graduated  at  Union 
College  in  1515:  studied  theology  with  Drs.  Nott  and  Yates;  was  licensed 
by  Oneida  Presbytery,  1816,  and  ordained  by  Presbytery  of  Buffalo,  1817. 
He  was  minister,  it  is  said,  in  more  than  a  dozen  different  parishes,  and 
"  very  many  whom  he  led  to  Christ  speak  his  praise."  He  died  in  Auburn, 
April  2d,  1S63. 


24 


have  now  re-read  with  some  care  the  records  of  the  session  for  the 
last  five  of  the  nine  years  of  which  I  am  now  speaking,  and  with 
special  reference  to  this  subject.  I  find  that  in  these  five  years 
thirty-two  persons  were  under  discipline,  several  of  them  more  than 
once.  No  douht  so  many  coming  into  the  church  at  one  time,  borne 
upon  a  cuiTent  of  enthusiasm  which  must  soon  somewhat  abate,  and 
many  of  them  not  having  been  well  instructed  in  religious  truth  and 
duty  under  an  established  ministry,  which  they  had  not  then  long 
enjoyed,  may  in  a  measure  account  for  not  a  few  of  the  errors  into 
which  they  fell — many  of  the  charges  against  them  seem  to  have 
been  errors  in  regard  to  duty  rather  than  immoralities  of  life.  And 
it  is  not  impossible  that  the  session,  nearly  all  of  whom,  including 
the  pastor,  were  without  experience,  may  have  entertained  such 
views  of  their  proper  work  and  office  that  they  were  led  to  a  minute- 
ness of  supervision  and  watchcare  over  the  membership,  too  nearly 
like  that  required  by  the  church  in  her  childhood  under  the  old 
dispensation,  and  not  exactly  in  accordance  with  the  manhood  and 
liberty  contemplated  under  the  Gospel.  Although  this  pastorate  is 
remembered  now  by  the  few  of  the  aged  members  yet  remaining 
with  a  great  deal  of  satisfaction,  and  on  the  whole  was  certainly  a 
wise  and  successful  one,  it  is  nevertheless  too  plain  that  at  its  close 
the  church  was  far  from  being  happy  or  harmonious*.  The  member- 
ship in  this  village  when  Mr.  Rodgers  came  could  not  have  been  much 
over  thirty;    when  he  left  it  was  about  ninety. 

The  next  three  years  and  a  half,  till  the  coming  of  Mr.  Newton, 
in  September,  1832,  while  we  find  the  names f  of  quite  a  number  of 
clergymen  on  the  sessional  records,  mentioned  simply  as  moderators, 
there  were  but  two  who  supplied  the  church  for  any  considerable 
time— these  were  Edwin  Hall  and  Caleb  B.  Tracy.     Each  of  these 


♦It  was  with  difficulty  that  suitable  persona  could  he  induced  to  accept  of 
the  office  of  trustee.  And  on  the  25th  of  March.  1829,  there  was  made  the 
following  record:  "Jieaolved,  That  in  the  existing  state  of  things  in  this 
church,  the  session  consider  it  proper  that  the  regular  communion  be 
postponed." 

tJohn  Savage,  Amos  Savage,  E.  D.  Kinney— these  last  two,  with  Alvah 
Day,  assisted  Mr.  Hall  in  the  protracted  meeting— Mr.  Kennedy,  Mr  Jones, 
Reuben  Smith,  Mr.  Davis,  and  Washington  Rosevelt,  who  was  minister  at 
Sasdy  Hill  for  two  or  three  years. 


gentlemen  preached  here  about  six  months— Mr.  Hall  beginning  in 
August,  1830,  and  Mr.  Tracy  the  latter  part  of  183 1.  The  church, 
which  had  become  almost  dilapidated*,  was  undergoing  repairs  when 
Mr.  Hall  arrived ;  so  he  was  obliged  to  preach  for  a  time  in  the 
Session  House.  The  repairs,  including  a  new  bell  in  the  place  of 
the  old  one,  which  had  been  cracked,  were  completed  on  the  ist  of 
December,  and  a  protracted  meeting  of  considerable  interest  imme- 
diately followed.  Mr.  Hall,  a  native  I  believe  of  Granville,  in 
Washington  County,  supplied  also,  during  the  time  that  he  was 
here,  the  church  in  Sandy  Hill,  preached  occasionally  at  Fort 
Edward,  and  acted  as  a  general  missionary  throughout  Warren 
County! . 

A  call  was  made  out  for  Ephraim  H.  Newton  on  the  3d  day  of 
September,  1832.  His  service  commenced  immediately,  though  he 
was   not    installed    till    the    28th  of   February  following}:.     He  had 


♦The  need  which  the  church  bad  of  repairs  had  been  felt  and  discassed 
by  the  trustees  three  years  before.  They  appointed  a  comtnittee  to  provide 
for  making  them,  but  DOtbing  could  "be  done  then.  July  12,  1830.  the 
tras-tees  drew  up  a  laaper  which  in  a  few  days  contained  pledges  in  excess 
of  what  was  needed— the  amount  being  $622  25,  while  the  expense  of 
repairs  was  only  $537  .ST.  The  subscribers,  however,  might  have  the 
amounts  which  they  gave  apply  in  payment  for  any  pew  or  pews  which 
they  might  buy:  and  any  surplus  which  should  remain  from  the  sale  of 
pews  over  the  payment  for  repsiirs  was  to  be  returned  to  the  subscribers  in 
proportion  to  their  subscripiions.  And  the  pews  were  to  be  always  sub- 
ject to  tax  by  the  trustees.  When  the  repairs  were  fiuished  four-fifths  of 
all  the  pews  [42]  were  taken  at  once.  At  this  time  also  a  new  bell  was 
obtained,  the  old  one  having  been  broken  when  tolled  for  the  death  of 
DeWitt  Clinton,  ne.srly  three  years  before.  And  this  one,  likewise  haviug 
been  broken,  was  exchanged  for  the  one  that  was  melted  in  the  fire  31st  of 
M.ay,  1864,  which  weighed  1669  pounds,  and  cost  26  cents  a  pound. 

tEdwin  Hall,  D.  D.,  for  the  last  twenty-one  years  Professor  of  Theology 
at  Auburn,  de<  lined  receiving  a  call  here  on  account  of  a  pulmonary 
affection,  and  engaged  in  teaching.  He  however  accepted  a  call  a  year 
afterward  to  the  first  Congregational  Church  of  Norwalk,  Conn.,  where  he 
maintained  a  high  position  till  called  to  Auburn  in  18-55.  Assisted  by  the 
Rev.  Amos  Savage,  be  revived  and  reorganized  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Caldwell,  the  way  having  been  prepared  for  him  by  Mrs.  Judge  Baldwin, 
who  had  for  some  time  conducted  there  a  very  successful  Sunday  School. 

JThe  Rev.  John  Whiron  of  Salem  presided:  the  Rev.  Archibald  Fleming 
of  Whitehall  made  the  installing  prayer:  the  Rev.  N.  S.  S.  Beman  of  Troy 
preacted  the  sermon,  from  Acts.  9:  6;  the  Rev.  Mark  Tucker  of  Troy  gave 
the  charge  to  the  pastor,  and  the  Rev.  Reuben  Smith  of  WaterforJ  gave  the 
charge  to  the  congregation. 

Immediately  after  the  inst:xllation  of  Mr.  Newton  the  observance  of  the 


already  been  a  successful  pastor  and  teacher  for  nearly  twenty  years, 
in  Marlborough,  Vt.,  which  was  his  native  State.  He  was  forty-five 
years  of  age,  a  man  whose  life  from  his  youth  had  been  largely 
devoted  to  teaching,  of  cultivated  scientific  tastes,  and  of  marked  and 
strong  character.  He  was  not  a  brilliant,  but  a  sound  and  instructive 
preacher.  He  was  the  first  minister  of  this  congregation,  except  Mr. 
Tracy  for  a  few  months,  whose  services  were  not  divided  with  Sandy 
Hill.  Being  to  the  manner  accustomed,  and  his  support  being  inad- 
equate, he  taught  a  very  excellent  select  school  during  a  portion  of 
the  time  that  he  was  here.  He  was  dismissed  by  the  presbytery  on 
the  25th  of  August,  1836,  "in  consequence  of  the  enibarrassed  state 
of  the  funds  for  his  support,"  after  a  ministry  here  of  just  four  years. 
What  his  salary  was  I  have  not  ascertained.  This  ministry  had  been 
eminently  successful;  there  had  been  added  to  the  church  sixty 
persons  on  profession,  and  a  large  number  by  certificate.  There  had 
been  but  one  case  of  discipline;  and  there  was  general  prosperity  and 
concord.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  severing  of  this  pastoral 
connection,  like  several  of  which  I  have  personally  known,  was  a 
mistake  of  both  minister  and  people*. 

Lord's  Supper  was  fixed  for  the  first  Sabbaths  of  January,  April,  July,  and 
October— quarterly,  as  it  has  been  ever  since. 

Also,  the  session  resolved  to  hold  a  stated  meeting  on  the  first  Tuesday 
evening  of  each  month. 

*Dr.  Newton  was  born  in  Newfane,  Vt.,  June  13,  1787.  He  graduated  at 
Middlebury  College  in  1810;  and  in  recognition  of  his  scholarly  acqairel 
menls,  he  in  due  time  was  honored  with  D.  D.  by  the  same  institution.  He 
studied  theology  at  Andover;  was  licensed  by  the  Haverhill  Associatioa, 
April  14,1813;  was  installed  over  the  Congregational  Church  of  Marlbor- 
ough, Vt.,  March  16,  1814.  Here  he  labored  over  eighteen  years,  coming  to 
Glen's  P.ills  in  1832.  After  leaving  Glen's  Palls,  he  took  charge  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Cambridge,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  installed  March 
15,  1837.  Here  he  continued  for  six  years,  and  never  sustained  a  pastnra- 
relation  afterward.  On  being  dismissed  from  this  charge  he  became  principal 
of  Cambridge  Academy,  and  devoted  himself  to  scientific  studies,  especially 
to  geology,  "  There  was  a  time,"  says  Dr.  Fillmore,  his  successor  in  the 
church  at  Cambridge,  -'when  in  mineialogy  and  geology  he  was  equal  to 
any  in  the  land."  He  was  principal  of  the  academy  for  five  years,  ,and 
supplied  during  this  time  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church  in  Easton  one  year. 
and  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church  at  Buskirk's  Bridge  two  years.  After  this 
he  retired  to  a  farm,  and  devoted  himself  to  sheep  raising  and  scientific 
agriculture.  He  was  president  of  the  Washington  County  Agricultural 
Society  when  he  died.  In  1^60  he  visited  his  first  parish  in  Marlborough, 
where  he  spent  most  of  his  time  for  a  couple  of  years  in  laboring  for  the 
good  of  his  old  charge,  accepting  from  them  an  election  to  the  Legislature 


27 


The  church  now  remained  without  a  stated  minister  for  nearly  a 
year— from  Sept.  i,  1836,  to  Aug.  i,  1837 — and  yet  at  the  two 
communions  which  were  observed  [April  and  July]  there  were 
eleven  new  members  admitted  on  profession  of  their  faith. 

On  the  loth  of  August,  1837,  Mr.  Scovill's*  name  occurs  as 
moderator  of  the  session.  Fie  no  doubt  came  on  immediately  after 
his  graduation  at  Auburn,  where  he  studied  theology.  On  the  nth 
of  September  following,  the  congregation  made  out  a  call  for  him  to 
become  pastor,  at  $500  a  year.  And  in  November  of  the  same  year 
he  was  installed.  It  is  interesting  to  observe,  as  belonging  to  the 
history  of  the  Presbytery  of  Troy,  that  within  three  days  it  ordained 
and  installed  three  pastors,  adjourning  from  one  parish  to  the  other 
— Lewis  Kellogg  at  Whitehall,  John  F.  Scovill  at  Glen's  Falls,  and 
A.  Bordman  Lambert  at  Salem.  Mr.  Scovill's  pastorate  here  con- 
tinued about  five  years— he  offered  his  resignation  in  April,  1842, 
and  I  conclude  was  dismissed  by  the  Presbytery  at  Sand  Lake  on  the 
28th  of  June  following.  Within  these  five  years  there  ^yere  fifty-three 
additions  to  the  church  by  profession,  and  fourteen  persons  were 
under  discipline.  It  was  the  period  during  which  the  contest  between 
the  Old  School  and  the  New  School,  between  the  old  mode  and  the 
new  measures,  waxed  hottest,  and  culminated  in  the  unhappy 
division   of  the    Presbyterian    Church.     For   a   time  this  particular 


in  tlie  fall  of  1862.  He  gathered  daring  his  life  a  cabinet  of  about  ten 
thousand  specimens  in  mineralogy  and  eeolosy  which  he  presented  to  the 
Aiidovnr  Seminary.  His  library  of  a  thousand  volumes  he  gave  to  Middle- 
bury.  "As  a  preacher,"  says  Dr.  Fillmore,  '-he  was  sonud  and  scriptural, 
rather  than  imaginative,  ornamental,  and  oratorical.  His  sermons  were 
models  of  system  and  scripture  illustration."  Dr  Newton  was  married  in 
1815  to  Huldah.  daughter  of  General  Chipman  of  Shoreham,  Vt.;  she  died 
in  1853.  "In  his  home,"  says  one  of  bis  grand-daughters,  "he  was  an 
afl'ectionate  husband  and  father,  always  kind  and  thoughtful,  ever  striving 
to  make  others  happy."  He  died  in  Cambridge  at  the  house  of  his  son-in- 
law,  John  M.  Stevenson,  Oct.  26,  1864. 

*John  F.  Scovill  was  a  native  of  Port  Edward.  He  had  been  in  business, 
in  which  be  had  not  been  successful,  before  he  prepared  for  the  ministry. 
He  studied  theology  at  Auburn.  He  was  married  at  Fort  Edward,  by  the 
Rev.  Joseph  Parry,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  B.  Hasbronck,  on  the  11th  of  Nov., 
1837.  After  his  service  here  of  five  years,  he  was  installed  over  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Holland  Patent,  Aug.  1,  1343;  and  he  was  deposed  from 
the  ministry  by  the  Presbytery  of  Utica,  April  b,  1849.  He  lives  in  Brook- 
lyn, where  he  has  made  it  his  home  for  many  years. 


28 


church  endeavored  to  avoid  being  drawn  into  the  strife.  In  June  of 
1838  and  in  February  of  '39  the  session  decline  to  send  any  delegate 
to  presbytery,  and  also  in  October,  '38,  to  send  any  delegate  to  synod, 
expressly  resolving  for  the  time  to  remain  neutral.  How  could  the 
church  or  the  session  know  what  to  do  ?  The  two  former  pastors, 
with  their  churches*,  went  with  the  Old  School;  the  pastor  they  then 
had  went  with  the  New.  And  when  in  August,  1839,  the  session 
rescinded  their  resolution  of  neutrality,  and  sent  a  delegate  to  the 
New  School  Presbytery  at  Lansingburgh,  it  is  not  at  all  strange  that 
the  strain  on  the  church  was  so  strong  that  a  fissure  for  a  time  was 
quite  observablef.  We  wonder  now  that  such  feelings  and  prejudices 
should  have  existed  as  prevailed  in  those  days;  but  the  division  of  a 
great  and  intelligent  church  into  two  opposing  bodies  is  not  a  trifling 
event  to  those  who  are  immediately  separated.  We  rejoice  now  in 
the  reunion  of  the  church,  consummated  in  1870,  after  a  schooling 
and  a  cooling  of  thirty-two  years,  which  brought  the  parties  to 
respect  and  trust  each  other,  and  to  come  back  and  shake  hands 
where  they  had  parted,  neither  one  making  any  confession,  neither 
one  gaining  any  precedence  by  forgiving  the  other. 

John  W.  Ray  commenced  preaching  to  this  church  in  August, 
1842 — almost  immediately  after  his  graduation  at  the  Union  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  New  York  City,  and  almost  literally,  without  any 
period  between,  joining  his  ministry  to  that  of  his  predecessor.  His 
call  from  the  congregation  to  the  pastorate  was  voted  on  the  31st 
day  of  October,  1842,  at  $500  a  year.     When  he  was  ordained  and 


*Mr.  Rodgers  and  the  church  of  Bound  Brook,  N.  J,  Mr.  Newton  and 
the  church  of  Cambridge,  N.  Y.  In  the  spring  of  1840,  1  am  told  that  the 
evangelist  Royal  A.  Avery  held  a  protracted  meeting  here,  and  preached 
every  day  for  the  forty  days  preceding  the  10th  of  April:  and  yet  in  the  fall 
of  1841  or  2,  one  of  the  old  members  of  the  Synod  of  Albany,  New  School, 
says  that  the  synod,  meeting  in  Glen's  Falls,  '•  discountenanced  with  an 
emphasis  inviting  traveling  evangelists  for  extra  labor." 

tA  portion  of  the  church  held  separate  services  for  a  lime  in  the  old 
academy.  And,  as  I  have  learned,  a  portion  of  the  church  in  Cambridge 
were  about  as  much  dissatisfied  that  the  main  body  adhered  to  the  Old 
School.  Mr.  Ranger  had  an  old  dog  at  that  time  who  was  a  stated  church- 
goer. Attending  the  family  to  the  corner,  and  seeing  them  turn  a  new 
way  up  Ridge  Street,  he  stood  and  looked  after  them  for  a  while,  then 
looked  down  toward  the  old  church,  became  confused,  and  set  up  a  most 
piteous  howl.    Other  people  in  those  days  were  confused  besides  him. 


installed  is  uncertain;  but  probably  it  was  on  the  i6th  of  November, 
as  that  was  the  day  chosen  by  the  congregation,  if  it  should  be 
convenient  for  the  presbytery.  He  offered  his  resignation  in  July, 
1845;  and  it  was  accepted  on  the  6th  of  August.  No  doubt  his  term 
of  service  was  just  three  years.  Mr.  Ray  was  young  and  ardent. 
He  entered  into  his  work  with  zeal  and  enthusiasm,  if  not  always 
with  the  best  taste  and  judgment.  He  aimed  at  immediate  effect, 
and  was  successful  in  what  he  undertook.  Sixty-five*  were  admitted 
to  the  church  by  profession  during  his  ministryf.  He  is  remembered 
by  many  of  the  members,  to  the  present  day,  with  interest  and 
esteem|. 

From  the  first  of  October,  1845,  the  Rev.  John  Gray  was  minister 
of  the  church  for  nine  months,  to  July,  1846.  Two  years  afterward 
he  was  preaching  in  Newburgh,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  that  city  he 
died  in  i860. 


*Forty-eight  of  these  were  admitted  at  one  time,  April,  1843,  at  the  close 
of  a  seven  weeks'  protracted  meeting,  in  which  the  pastor  was  assisted  by 
the  Rev.  Courtney  Smith  of  Warrensbnrgh. 

tlcinDot  restrain  the  renewal  of  my  astonishment,  nor  withhold  the 
expression  of  it  in  a  note,  that  the  work  of  discipline  could  have  been 
carried  on  as  it  was  in  those  days  Within  the  month  of  March,  1S45,  the 
namesof  seventeen  persons  were  spread  on  the  records,  to  be  visited  on 
account  of  rnmors  deemed  injurious  to  their  Christian  characters.  Should 
a  name  ever  stand  in  ink,  thus  associated,  without  an  adequate  and  good 
reason  f 

JAfter  some  search  and  inquiry.  I  pnt  down  the  following  as  somewhat 
marking  the  route  of  Mr.  Ray's  pilgrimage:  Born  in  Norwich,  N.  Y  ; 
clerk  in  Binghamton,  where  he  was  converted;  graduated  at  Amherst, 
laaO;  graduated  at  Union  Seminary,  New  York,  in  1842,  having  spent  his 
middle  year  at,  Auburn;  licensed  by  the  Third  Presbytery  of  New  York, 
April.  1842;  preached  at  Glen's  Palls,  1842-5;  Norwich,  Conn, '45-6;  Assist- 
ant Secretary  of  American  Education  Society. '46-7;  preached  at  Oswego, 
'47-8;  Clyde,  '48-9;  Agent  of  American  Tract  Society,  extending  his  service 
one  winter  throush  the  Southern  States. '49-51:  preached  at  Dansville,  N. 

Y  .  '51-2;  Plainfield.  Mich.,  '.52-^3;  Rockville,  Conn  ,  '53-5;  East  Avon  and 
Ferry,  '55-57— this  concludes  his  ministry  in  the  Presbvterian  Church.  He 
studied  law  in  Missouri,  where  he  was  confirmed  in  the  Episcopal  Church; 
law,  Kansas,  1858;  Colonel  U.  S.  Vols,  18fiO;  conducted  a  newspaper  in 
Aurora,  III.,  for  a  year  or  two.  .idvocatinjr  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln: 
charge  of  a  Department  of  Indian  Affairs  at  Washington,  for  a  time; 
received  deacon's  orders  from  Bishop  Whitehouse,  at  Chicago.  1865;  priest's 
orders  from  Bishop  McCoskry  of  Michigan,  the  same  year,  and  became 
rector  at  Tecumseh;  rector  of  the  churches  in  Westfleld  and  Wellsville,  N. 

Y  ;  writerofseveral  tracts,  maintaining  Episcopacy;  for  several  years  past 
has  oeen  in  insurance  business  in  city  of  Rochester.  He  was  married  in 
Dansville,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Fenstermaker,  about  the  year  1855. 


I  come  now  to  the  ministry*  to  which  this  present  service  belongs. 
Thirty  years  ago  this  morning,  the  first  Sabbath  of  October,  1846,  I 
preached  for  the  first  time  in  the  house  which  then  occupied  the  spot 
on  which  this  edifice  now  stands.  1  had,  from  my  graduation  at 
Auburn  three  years  before,  been  preaching  as  stated  supply  to  the 
Congregational  Church  of  East  Groton,  Western  N.  Y.  Seeking  my 
annual  recreation,  I  had  been  for  several  weeks  with  friends  in  Ver- 
mont, among  the  scenes  of  my  childhood;  and  was  nearly  ready  to 
return  to  continue  my  service  to  the  people,  whom  till  to-day  I 
remember  and  bless  as  the  people  of  my  first  love.  A  mere  accident 
— what  appears  such  -sometimes  changes  the  place  of  one's  home, 
and  determines  where  and  with  whom  he  shall  live  and  perform  his 
life's  work.  So  it  was  with  me.  On  the  apparently  unpremeditated 
invitation  of  an  uncle,  I  rode  with  him  to  Glen's  Falls,  and  was  here 
staying   with   his  friends  and   mine  over  the  Sabbath.     This  church 


*Mr.  Fennel  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ira,  Rutland  County.  Vermont 
June  21.  1815.  The  first  seventeen  years  of  his  life,  except  the  winter  terras 
at  a  district  school,  were  spent  in  somewhat  hard  work  upon  the  farm.  He 
commenced  teaching  when  seventeen,  aud  divided  that  occupation  with 
study— privately,  at  the  Poultney  Seminary,  but  mainly  at  the  Castleton 
Seminary— for  the  next  eight  years.  He  entered  the  Auburn  Theological 
Seminary  in  1840,  and  graduated  in  1«43:  was  honored  with  A.  M  by  Mid- 
dlebnry  College  in  1847;  was  licensed  and  ordained  by  the  Rutlai;d  County 
Associaiion;  preached  the  first  three  years  of  his  ministry  as  stated  supply 
for  the  Congregational  Church  in  East  Groton.  Tompkins  County  He  was 
married  Oct.  18-  184S,  at  Little  Falls,  to  Miss  Raciilia  A.  Hackley.  daughter 
of  Hon.  Philo  M.  Hackley  of  Herkimer.  His  call  to  the  church  in  Glen's 
Falls  was  made  the  12th  of  Oct.,  1&46;  and  it  was  subscribed  by^.jV. 
Cheney,  Ira  A.  Paddock.  Stevens  Carpenter.  Orville  Cronkhite.  A.  C. 
Farlin.  and  Halsey  R.  Wing,  Trustees.  The  installation  did  not  take  place 
till  the  25th  of  Jan  ,  1847.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  John 
Todd,  D.  D..  of  Pitfsfield.  Mass  ;  the  charge  to  the  pastor  was  by  the  Rev. 
Chas.  Doolittle  of  North  Granville;  and  the  charge  to  the  congregation  by 
the  Rev.  Lewis  Kellogg  of  Whitehall.  Although  never  enjoying  vigorous 
health,  the  thirty  years'  labor  here,  with  one  exception,  has  only  had  now 
and  then  very  slight  interruption.  The  winter  of  1850-51— from  the  12th  of 
Dec.  to  the  20th  of  March— was  spent  in  the  South,  a  considerable  portion 
of  it  on  the  island  of  Cuba. 

Mr.  Fennel's  salary  at  first  was  $6(0;  in  185.3  it  was  raised  to  $800.  and 
in  1867  to  $1500.  He  has  never  alluded  to  the  matter  of  his  salary  in  the 
pulpit;  nor  has  he  ever  anywhere  asked  for  its  increase.  In  accordance 
with  a  promise  made  at  every  pastor's  installation,  to  continue  not  only 
the  maintenance  which  the  people  h:\ve  pledged,  but  "  whHtever  else  they 
may  see  needful  for  the  honor  of  religion,  and  his  comfort  among  them," 
his  watchful  congregation  has  not  only  paid  the  salary  in  full,  but  in 
observance  of  a  New  England  cnstom'has  made  him  tiventy-five  yisMs, 
which,  on  the  average,  were  worth  $200  each. 


was  without  a  minister;  and  as  Elder  Benedict  and  Elder  Tallmadge 
could  not  do  any  better  they  invited  me  to  preach.  And  here  I  have 
been  preaching  ever  since.  But,  dear  friends,  what  I  shall  say  of 
myself  shall  be  brief.  I  already  begin  to  feel  that  I  understand  what 
the  apostle's  experience  was,  when  on  recounting  the  events  of  his 
life  to  the  Corinthians,  he  whispers  parenthetically,  "  I  speak  as  a 
fool."  I  have  not  been  accustomed,  as  you  will  bear  me  witness,  to 
introduce  personal  matters  into  the  pulpit.  I  never  could  preach, 
what  some  mmisters  seem  specially  to  enjoy,  an  anniversary  sermon. 
It  is  repugnant  to  my  taste  and  my  feelings. 

Could  I  remove  this  church  and  put  Old  Whitem  its  place,  and 
tack  on  the  brick  Session  House*  a  few  feet  from  the  south-east 
corner,  put  the  Peck  house  in  the  place  of  the  Opera  House  block, 
and  bnng  back  the  little  old  cottage  upon  the  spot  where  I  now  live, 
some  of  you  who  are  gray  would  recognize  old  acquaintances;  but 
you  who  are  young  would  ask,  "What  old  church  and  surroundings 
are  these?"  Old  White,  which  had  then  stood  forty  years— her 
square  bell-tower  projecting  entire  size  in  front  and  furnishing  a 
porch  to  the  front  door,  her  high  box-pulpit  directly  opposite  another 
door  in  the  centre  of  the  east  side,  gallery  on  three  sides,  square 
pews  next  to  the  wall— was  quite  in  a  decline,  and  gave  place  about 
three  years  afterward  to  a  fine  brick  churchf ,  which  stood  fourteen 
years,  till  burned  in  the  great  fire  31st  of  May,  1864.  The  present 
house  of  worship,  owing  to  heavy  losses  which  the  congregation  had 
suffered  by  the  fire,  rose  out  of  the  ashes  very  slowly;  but  it  was 
finally    finished    and    dedicated    in  June,    1867— and    free    of  debt. 


*Thi8  house  had  been  built  but  two  or  three  years.  It  was  a  very  plain 
and  very  convenient  building— put  up  by  Myron  Osborn  dining  Mr.  Ray'6 
pastorate — very  convenient  for  lectures,  Sunday  School.-',  and  prayer 
meetings. 

+The  old  church  was  pulled  down  in  the  summer  ofl84S,  and  a  brick  one 
was  erected  on  the  same  site,  costing  $90oO.  and  creating  a  debt  which  in 
1854  reached  $4000.  This  debt,  which  was  a  great  burden  through  all 
these  years,  had  just  been  extinguished — the  ladies,  and  especially  Mrs. 
Cynthia  G.  Arms,  raising  a  large  portion  of  the  means  with  which  to  do  it 
—when  the  fire  came  and  extinguished  the  edifice.  The  architect  and 
builder  was  Mr.  A.  C.  Tiffany;  ihe  mason  worlt  was  done  by  the  Messrs. 
Pike.  The  building  committee  were  Bethuel  Peck,  Albert  N.  Cheney,  and 
George  G.  Hawley.    The  church  was  finished  and  dedicated  in  March,  1850. 


Hence  llie  ease  with  which,  for  the  nine  years  past,  the  ordinary 
congregational  expenses  have  been  met*. 

Having  had  but  little  experience  in  the  ministry,  this  being  my 
first  installed  pastorate,  I  entered  upon  my  duties  here  with  misgiving 
which  no  one  but  myself  and  my  Master  ever  knew.  A  little  knowl- 
edge of  the  church— how  unsteady  and  varied  had  been  its  experience 
—  was  enough  to  show  me  that  there  must  be  diversity  of  views 
among  the  members,  and  a  want  of  that  common  religious  life  and 
character  which  come  to  pass  under  the  steady  teaching  of  one  long- 
continued  ministry.  I  saw  too  that  there  were  belonging  to  the  con- 
gregation not  a  few  persons  of  marked  culture  and  clear  discrimina- 
tion, who  were  not  going  to  be  interested  or  spiritually  benefited, 
either  by  evangelical   cant  on  the  one  hand,  or  by  "glittering  gen- 

*The  (jreat.  fire,  which  started  in  the  Glen's  Palls  Hotel  and  consnmed  in 
less  than  four  hours  about  a  million  dollars  worth  of  property,  ioclnded  the 
Presbyterian  Church  and  the  pastor's  honse.  For  a"few  weeks  the  whole 
village  was  shrouded  in  gloom.  The  personal  lospes  of  members  of  this 
congregation  were  so  great  that  it  was  predicted  that  we  should  never 
rebuild.  But  at  length  the  people  had  a  mind  to  work  and  fjrioe.  And  they 
were  stimulated  and  encouraged  by  the  spontaneous  Christian  sympathy 
of  friends  abroad.  Nearly  $3000  were  contributed  at  once  in  .Albany  and 
Troy,  which,  with  $4f'00  insurance  money,  left  after  paying  for  repairs  just 
completed,  made  a  basis  with  which  to  start  of  $7000  The  house  was 
commencedflj  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  1865;  and  it  was  deriicatpd 
by  Rev.  L.  P.Hickok.H.  D.,  then  President  of  Union  College,  June  19, 1S67. 
The  entire  cost,  including  the  furnishing,  the  organ  $30i  0  and  the  bell,  was 
just  about  $30,000.  Great  credit  is  due  to  the  earnest  and  untiring  efforts 
of  the  ladies  of  the  congregation,  and  also  to  the  trustees— S.  L  Goodman, 
Henry  Crandall.  Jerome  Lapham.  A  C.  Tearseand  Daniel  Peck— for  their 
wise  efficiency  and  personal  liberality.  The  church  has  run  itself  since  it 
was  occupied,  pajing  all  current  expenses  by  its  pew-renty,  except  the 
salary  of  the  organist,  which  is  provided  for  by  a  plate-collection  on  the 
Sabbath. 

The  pastor  also  desires  to  make  this  permanent  record— to  the  honor  of 
Christ— of  the  generosity  of  a  few  considerate  gentlemen,  and  especially  of 
one  noble  lady,  who  g;ive  themselves  and  obtained  from  a  few  personal 
friends,  in  the  aggregate  about  $2500,  with  which  to  rebuild  his  honse. 
Excepting  his  linrary,  which  he  has  never  been  able  to  think  of  trying  to 
replace,  his  loss  was  fully  made  up.  The  house  has  been  rebuilt;  and 
though,  at  first,  not  free  of  debt  as  was  the  chnrch,  it  has  been  for  some 
time  without  encumbrance. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  year  next  after  entering  the  new  church, 
Jan.  .S.  1868, 1  find  the  following  on  the  session's  minutes:  "Ordered,  that 
it  be  recorded  that  jWrs  H.  R  IFinj/ this  day  presented  the  church  with  an 
appropriate  communion  service,  and  that  it  be  engraved  ou  one  of  the 
ariicles  that  the  set  was  her  gift." 


33 


eralilies"  on  the  other.  I  therefore  made  up  my  mind  deliberately  to 
preach  the  gospel,  as  simply,  as  clearly,  as  well  as  I  could;  that  this 
should  be  the  first  work  of  my  life;  that  nothing  should  interfere 
with  it,  always  excepting  a  pastor's  kindly  offices  for  the  sick,  the 
afflicted,  the  dying,  and  the  dead.  And  this  was  no  secret  purpose 
of  my  own;  it  was  openly  announced  to  the  congregation  at  the 
beginning.  Nor  have  I  found  the  difficulty  in  carrying  out  this 
resolution,  of  which  some  pastors  complain.  I  could  always  preach 
the  truth,  as  I  understood  it,  without  feeling  tempted  to  change  it  into 
a  smooth  saying,  for  fear  of  offending  some  hearer.  This  I  attribute, 
not  to  my  wisdom  or  courage,  but  to  my  confidence  in  the  considera- 
tion and  good  sense  of  those  who  sometimes  have  differed  from  me. 
It  is  oftentimes  not  so  much  the  truth  that  offends,  as  it  is  the 
assumption  and  heat  with  which  it  is  delivered.  I  know  that  I  have 
not  always  pleased  everybody,  not  even  my  best  friends.  The  last 
thirty  years  have  furnished  exciting  themes  and  exciting  times. 
iMillions  of  people  with  manacled  hands,  and  hundreds  of  thousands 
with  manacled  appetites,  have  stood  by  every  pulpit  and  besought 
thaf  the  teaching  of  Christ  with  reference  to  their  enslavement  should 
be  proclaimed  with  no  uncertam.  sound.  While  this  pulpit  has  not 
made  a  hobby,  either  of  the  slave  or  of  the  drunkard,  it  has  never 
faltered  in  the  distinct  utterance,  that  God  has  made  all  men  of  one 
blood,  and  Christ  redeemed  them  all  by  one  blood,  that  hence 
slavery  is  sin  against  both  nature  and  the  gospel;  nor  has  it  refrained 
from  giving  emphasis  to  tiie  sin  of  the  drunkard  and  the  drunkard- 
maker,  and  leaching  that  entire  abstinence  from  the  use  and  sale  of 
intoxicating  drinks  as  a  conniion  beverage,  is  the  wise,  safe,  expedient, 
and   therefore   Christian   rule   for  all   men   to  adopt  and   practice*. 


•This  peems  to  be  ths  proper  place  to  meDlion  in  a  note  the  name  of  Dr. 
Billy  J.  Clark,  the  father  of  the  temperance  movement  of  this  century 
The  following  f.acts  I  take  from  my  own  adfirH>8  at  his  funeral.  He  was 
born  at  Northampton.  Mat's..  Jan,  4,  1778.  When  he  was  six  years  old  he 
removed  with  his  father  to 'Williaraslown,  and  fonr  years  after,  when  he 
was  ten  ye.irs  old.  to  Pownal,  Vt..  Here  his  f;ither.  hitherto  a  farmer,  be- 
came a  country  merchant,  and  as  was  customary  in  those  days  sold  ardent 
spirits.  A  clerk  in  the  store,  young  Clark  became  intensely  disgusted  with 
the  tratBc,  and  with  the  dri-^king  habits  of  the  customers  When  nineteen 
years  of  age  he  left  the  store,  and  having  studied  medicine  for  a  couple  of 
years  in  Easton.  Washington  Co.,  he  established  himself  as  a  physician  in 


Within  a  few  years  too  we  have  passed  through  the  the  most  bloody 
civil  war  of  modern  times.  Though  in  many  things,  while  the  red 
hand  was  upon  us,  we  did  not  as  a  congregation  perfectly  agree,  yet 
we  did  agree  in  an  intelligent  submission  to  the  government  in  actual 
being;  and  praying  that  it  might  be  wise  in  counsel  and  victorious 
in  arms,  we  were  literally  an  unit  m  patriotism  and  devotion  to  the 
Union.  Yonder  memorial  wmdow,  representing  the  early  dawn  of 
the  morning  of  our  Saviour's  resurrection,  when  angels  came  down 
and  shared  with  men  the  joys  of  immortality,  bears  a  few  of  the 
names*  of  our  honored  ones  who  "died  for  the  Union  " — who  sleep 
waiting  for  their  morning  —one  of  whom  was  for  many  years  the 
leader  of  our  worship  of  praise,  and  a  vahied  counselor  in  the  elder- 
ship of  this  church. 


Moreau,  Saratoga  Co  ,  when  twenty-one  years  old.  Here,  while  pursuing 
his  profession,  the  old  disgust  of  his  youth  at  the  work  wrought  by  rum, 
became  revived  aud  strengthened.  Just  nine  years  after  he  came  to  Moreau, 
on  a  stormy  eveuing.  wet  and  spattered  with  mud,  he  entered  the  house  of 
his  pastor— the  late  Dr.  Lebbeus  Armstrong— declaring  that  something 
must  be  done  to  save  the  community  from  all  becoming  drunkards.  The 
minister  listened  while  the  doctor  unfolded  his  plan  for  the  formation  of  a 
temperance  society;  and  they  together  agre<  d  to  convene  a  preliminary 
meeting,  which  was  held  at  the  tavern,  where  on  the  1.3th  of  April.  180S. 
twenty-three  persons  met,  and  lesolving  "wholly  to  abstain  from  all  spirit- 
uous liquors,"  appointed  a  committee,  of  which  Dr.  Clark  was  chairman,  to 
draft  a  constitution  and  by-laws.  On  the  20ih  of  April.  1808.  they  met  in 
the  school  house  and  organized  the  society.  Sydney  Berry,  father  of  the 
Sydney  Berry  who  was  one  of  the  elders  of  this  church,  was  the  first  presi- 
dent, and  Dr  Clark  the  first  secretary.  The  pledge  was  to  total  anstinence 
from  all  distilled  liquors,  and  from  wines  except  as  a  relisious  ordinance 
and  at  public  dinners.  This,  historically.  I  understand  to  be  the  first  one 
of  those  temperance  societies  which  have  been  organized  over  our  land  and 
other  lands,  and  which  have  saved  millions  from  drunkenness. 

While  the  doctor  always  felt  that  his  special  mission  was  to  promote  the 
cause  of  temperance,  he  did  not  rest  in  that  as  the  whole  of  his  religion. 
He  became  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  Moreau  about  1825. 
and  for  nearly  thirty  years  before  his  death  he  was  a  devoted  and  active 
member  of  this  church.  Success  in  his  profession  and  economy  brought 
him  a  competence;  and  he  was  accustomed  to  give  from  principle  and  not 
from  impulse.  Year  by  year,  he  used  to  put  into  my  hands  as  his  oastor, 
his  contribution  to  be  divided  between  the  difl'erent  causes,  very  m'uch  at 
my  discretion— only  always  to  remember  the  Bible  cause.  At  his  death  I 
held  his  donation  for  the  year,  given  me  earlier  than  usual,  because,  as  he 
remarked,  he  "should  not  be  here  long,  and  probably  that  would  be  the 
last  he  should  ever  have  the  privilege  of  giving."  He  died  in  this  village 
Feb.  20,  18G7,  in  his  90th  year. 

♦Lieutenants  William  T  Norris.  Edgar  M.  Wing,  Charles  Gushing.  Cap- 
tain Edward  Riggs,  and  Major  Amos  P.  Wells. 


The  Sunday  School,  ever  since  its  adoption  as  a  department  of 
instruction  in  this  church,  lias  enlisted  much  of  the  best  talent  of  the 
membership,  and  has  done  much  to  promote  the  intelligent  piety  of 
a  large  share  of  those  who  now  belong  to  our  communion.  And 
this  it  has  efTected  as  the  voluntary  and  free  work  of  the  superintend- 
ents and  teachers,  without  any  special  supervision  or  control  by  the 
pastor  or  session.  Members  of  the  session  have  been  superintendents 
and  teachers,  the  pastor  has  sometimes  had  his  bible-class;  hut  the 
school  has  used  and  developed  its  own  judgment  and  skill  in  electing 
its  officers  and  managing  its  affairs,  and  so  perhaps  it  has  maintained 
an  interest  in  achieving  success,  which  might  not  have  been  secured 
by  the  machinery  of  sessional  control.  We  think  that  this  has  been 
a  wise  arrangement  for  us,  though  it  might  be  very  unwise  for  many 
other  churches.  No  one  order  of  things  can  be  best  for  every  church 
and  school*. 


*The  Sunday  Scliool  of  this  church  was  orgranized  by  the  village  school 
master.  Mr.  Solomon  P.  Goodrich,  about  the  year  1815.  in  the  old  Academy 
on  Ridge  Street,  which  Mr.  Goodrich  occupied  for  his  school  during  the 
week.  After  some  years  it  met  in  the  Session  House  on  Glen  Street  It 
was  the  first  Sund.iy  School  in  the  town,  and  indeed  in  the  county,  and 
continued  to  be  the  only  school  for  many  yeais.  It  was  in  fact  and  in  name 
an  union  school,  and  remained  so  for  more  than  forty  years.  Mr  Elias 
Hawley  succeeded  Mr  Goodrich,  and  was  superintendent  till  his  removal 
to  Kinghamtou  in  1833.  Its  first  two  superintendents  were  elders  of  the 
church,  as  is  the  one  now  in  office,  and  as  two  others  were  elected  to  be. 
but  declined  to  serve  John  L.  Curtenius  was  the  next  superintendent, 
with  George  G  Hawley  for  assistant.  After  Mr.  Curtenius's  removal,  it  is 
thought  that  Mr.  Fordyce  Sylvester  acted  as  superintendent  for  a  few 
months,  when  Mr.  George  G.  Hawley  was  elected,  probably  in  May,  1637 
Except  for  a  few  months,  during  which  Ira  A.  Paddock  served.  Mr  Hawlev 
continued  in  office,  annually  re-elected,  for  twenty-three  years  His  work 
in  the  Sunday  School  was,  and  is.  intelligent,  earnest  and  efficient  Since 
he  was  succeeded  in  18G0  by  Mr.  F.A.Johnson,  he  has  much  of  the  tiwe 
been  superintendent  of  the  district  Sunday  Schools  of  Queensbury.  under 
appointment  of  the  Warren  County  Sunday  School  Union,  an  organization 
formed  in  1841  greatly  through  his  instrumentality.  Mr.  Johnson  was 
superintendent  between  four  and  five  years,  till  his  removal  to  New  York, 
in  May.  IHbS.  jjfr.  J  A.  Freligh  was  chosen  and  continued  in  office  for  six 
ye.ars,  till  1871,  when  Mr.  Johnson,  having  re-established  his  residence 
here,  was  re-elected  to  superintend  the  school,  and  has  continued  in  office 
to  the  present  time.  Thus  the  school,  now  more  ihan  sixty  years  old, 
leavintr  out  only  a  few  months,  haw  been  the  whole  time  under  six  superin- 
tendents—a fact  to  the  credit  of  both  them  and  the  school.  I  should 
be  glad  to  mention  some  of  the  teachers  who  have  been  very  faithful 
and  efficient,  but  cannot  give  the  space.  Prom  the  early  days  of  the  school 
It  has  had  a  female  superintendent,  as  well  as  male.  These  names  would 
be  suggestive,  if  it  were  possible  to  give  a  complete  list  of  them;  but  the 


My  controlling  motive  and  constant  effort  have  been  to  have  a 
church  of  intelligent  Christians;  clear  and  sound  in  their  own  per- 
sonal judgment  on  religious  truth  and  Christian  morality;  possessed 
of  sufficient  independence  and  amount  of  character  to  lead  pure, 
righteous  and  noble  Christian  lives,  without  the  outside  and  multi- 
plied church  restraints,  which  belong  to  the  pupilage  and  servitude 
of  the  old  dispensation,  rather  than  to  the  "liberty  wherewith  Christ 
makes  his  disciples  free*."  This  style  of  the  Christian,  this  type  of 
the  religious  life,  belongs  eminently  to  our  branch  of  the  church 
universal  throughout  the  world.  It  appears  in  all  her  history;  it  is 
known  and  read  of  all  men  to-day.  And  this  self-controlled  and 
rational  form  of  the  genuine  Protestant  Christian,  maintaining  supreme 
allegiance  directly  to  Christ  through  his  word,  is  the  special  dispen- 
sation which  has  come  down  to  us  from  our  fathers,  and  which  is 
committed  to  us  to  preserve  and  exemplify  in  this  community.  And, 
my  brethren,  we  have  had  not  a  few  noble  examples  of  this  high 
type  of  the  Christian,  whose  memory  remains,  a  power  for  good 
among  us.  and  whose  virtues  are  reappearing  in  many  lives.  What 
a  different  people  this  would  have  been  to-day,  if  there  had  never 
been  any  Presbyterian  Christians  here,  never  any  Presbyterian 
gospel  here  preached  and  practiced.  Among  other  denominations 
of  Christians,  all  of  whom,  equally  with  ourselves,  are  included 
in  the  one  catholic  and  apostolical  church,  we  have  our  place  and 
our  peculiarities.  We  have  our  history,  our  views,  our  methods. 
Other  churches  have  theirs.  Ours  may  be  better  than  theirs  for  some 
people;  theirs  may  be  better  than  ours  for  other  people.  Our  church 
views  furnish  us  no  motive  to  attack  them,  or  to  proselyte  any  one 
from  them  to  us.  This  is  our  position  as  a  denomination;  it  is  our 
position  as  one  of  the  churches  of  this  village.  Thus  1  briefly  indicate 
the  dispensation  of  the  gospel  which  has  been  committed  to  us.     We 


records  are  very  fragmentary.  There  are  such  names,  however,  aa  Mrs. 
George  Sanford.  Mrs.  Mary  Farnsworth,  Mrs.  Hosmer.  Miss  Helen  Good- 
rich, Mrs.  P.  A.  Johnson,  Pen  ,  Mrs.  H.  R.  Wing,  Mrs.  Fennel,  that  are 
known  and  easily  remembered. 

♦The  old  method  of  critical  watchcare  over  the  members,  according  to 
minute  and  specific  rules  of  duty,  ran  on  for  nearly  ten  years  into  my  min- 
istry; and  almost  the  old  ratio  of  members  came  under  discipline. 
During  the  last  twenty  years  but  three  names  have  been  added  to  ihis  list. 


discern  some  high  and  attractive  excellence  in  it.  Those  who  see 
and  feel  as  we  do,  we  are  glad,  in  the  love  of  Christ,  to  welcome  to  our 
number,  and  to  incorporate  into  our  body.  We  open  our  arms  to  all 
who  are  Christ's,  and  who  desire  to  come.  But  our  modesty  does 
not  forbid  us  to  say  that  any  person  has  as  good  reason  to  esteem  it 
a  favor  to  belong  to  us,  as  we  have  to  possess  him. 

During  the  period  of  my  ministry  here  we  have  received  to  mem- 
bership by  profession  227  persons,  and  adding  those  who  have  come 
in  by  certificate  the  number  received  is  400.     The  resident  members 
when  I  came  here  were  182.     Thus  we  have  had  582  different  com- 
municants  withm    that   time.     Now  we  have  287.     Thus  it  is  that 
Christ's  people  enter  our  fold  and  leave  us  again,  some  to  other  parts 
and   other  folds,  and   some   to  the   blissful  fold  above.     In  learning 
what  I  could  of  the  history  of  this  church,  I  have  been  struck  with 
the  great  dependence  which  used  to  be  put  upon  special  evangelistic 
efforts  by  which  to  create  a  religious  interest  and  gain  accessions  to 
the  communion.     I  never  so  fully  realized,  as  now,  how  different  has 
been  our  method  for  the  last  thirty  years.     There   have   been  not  a 
few  occasions  during  these  years  of  more  than  ordinary  earnestness 
in  prayer  and   Christian   work   on    the   part  of  the   members,  when 
increased  numbers  of  the  careless  have  become  thoughtful  and  asked 
what  they    must  do   to  be  saved.     Additional  prayer  meetings,  and 
lectures,  and  someliines  inquiry  meetings  have  then  been  our  means 
by  which  to  maintain  the  spiritual  interest  and  guide  the  awakened 
and  an.\ious  mind  aright.     A  few   limes  I  have  wished  that  we  had 
help  from  some   minister  of  experience,  whom   God  had  honored  in 
revival   work;    but  as  no  such  person  was  near  at  hand  we  have  had 
no  such  help.     Witli  the  single  exception  of  six  or  eight  discourses, 
by  the   pastor  of  the  church  at  Sandy  Hill,  Mf.  Hickok,  during  the 
first  winter  of  our  occupymg  this  house,  we  have  never  had  any  help 
from  aiiroad  whatever.     I  have  no  doubt  that  by  the  aid  of  evangel- 
ists, the  membership  of  the  church  might,  at  least  for  the  time,  have 
been  increased  more  than  it  was,  on  several  occasions.     But  whether 
this  would  have  increased  the  unity  and   sum  of  genuine    Christian 
charai  ter,  throughout   the  entire  congregation,  may  certainly  admit 
of  an  honest  doubt.     As  it  has  been,  our  admissions  have   been  very 


38 


gradual;  and  instead  of  having  a  number  of  persons  of  doubtful  and 
unassimilated  characters  enrolled  as  communicants,  when  they  ought 
not  to  be,  there  have  always  been,  to  our  great  satisfaction  on  the 
one  hand,  and  our  great  regret  on  the  other,  a  considerable  number 
not  thus  enrolled,  who,  I  have  no  doubt,  might  have  been  enjoying 
that  privilege,  greatly  to  their  comfort  and  the  approbation  of  the 
Master.  And  here  I  will  not  refrain  from  saying  that  I  tiiank  God 
for  not  a  few  personal  friends,  who  have  been  and  are  members  of 
the  congregation  but  not  of  the  church,  whose  noble  and  solid  char- 
acters and  everyday  generous  and  good  works  have  made  me  number 
them  among  the  people  of  God,  much  more  surely  than  I  have  some 
whose  names  stand  on  the  church  register. 

I  must  not  omit  to  say  that  I  have  been  peculiarly  happy  in  my 
eldership.  Without  exception,  for  this  long  time,  they  have  been 
good  and  true  Christian  men  — men  of  sound  minds,  of  common 
sense,  of  prayer,  without  hobbies,  considerate  of  one  another's  views 
and  feelings,  especially  of  the  pastor's  judgment  and  wishes,  and 
some  of  them  have  been  "apt  to  teach."  Scarcely  a  syljable  of 
difference  has  there  ever  been  in  the  session.  I  desire  to  emphasize 
my  judgment  that  the  church  is  greatly  indebted  to  the  wise  and 
good  men  who  have  served  her  in  the  eldersliip.  Of  those  who  have 
deceased  I  will  give  the  judgment  of  their  lirelhren  in  office,  by 
quoting  from  the  sessional  records  in  foot  notes*. 

*Myron  Osborn; — Resolved,  That  we  here  record  our  deep  sense  of  the 
loss  of  Bro.  Myron  Osborn.  a  member  of  this  session,  who  departed  this 
life  on  the  11th  of  Jan.,  1850. 

Resolved,  That  in  him  this  session  has  lost  a  prudent  and  safe  counsellor, 
the  church  a  good  man,  and  the  community  an  eminent  exemplar  of  the 
Christian  religion. 

William  T.  iVorris .-TrWhereas,  Testimony  has  just  been  taken  in  this 
village,  establishing  the  death,  on  the  30th  of  August,  1862,  in  the  battle  of 
Bull  Run.Va.,of  William  T.  Norris,  a  lieutenant  in  the  22d  Regiment  of 
N.  T.  S.  v.;  now,  therefore,  in  memory  of  our  beloved  brother,  we  make 
the  following  record: 

Resolved,  That  in  his  death  on  the  battle-field,  his  country  received  the 
offering  of  a  genuine  Christian  patriot's  life;  the  church  to  which  he 
belonged  lost  a  manly  and  earnest  exemplar  of  her  faith;  and  this  session, 
of  which  he  was  an  active  member,  has  been  deprived  of  a  considerate  and 
good  counsellor. 

Resolved,  That  we  deeply  feel  his  loss  from  the  choir  of  this  church,  to 
which  he  generously  devoted  so  much  of  his  valuable  time,  and  in  which 
his  excellent  services  as  leader  were  rendered  gratuitously  for  so  many 


But  briefly  as  I  have  rehearsed  the  story  of  our  beloved  church, 
giving  oftentimes  only  a  sentence  to  what  might  easily  have  been 
expanded  into  a  chapter,  I  shall  be  making  this  discourse  altogether 
too  long  if  I  do  not  somewhat  abruptly  bring  it  to  a  close.  I  have 
no  doubt  that  the  sentmient  finds  place  in  all  our  minds,  that  with 
such  a  history  as  ours,  so  "  rooted  and  established  "  as  we  are  in 
both  the  gospel  and  the  community,  this  church  will  not  easily  waste 
away  and  become  extmct.  We  have  grown  so  much  into  a  common 
life  and  character,  our  views  of  religion  and  of  religious  truth  are  so 
well  defined  and  established,  that  here  we  have  a  home  feeling  that 
we  cannot  readily  acquire  elsewhere.  As  we  have  inherited  our 
church,  from  honored  fathers  who  labored  for  it  and  in  it,  and  estab- 
lished it  here,  so  as  a  dispensation  committed  to  us,  we  shall  heartily 
commit  and  commend  it  to  our  children.     The   view  which  we  have 


years.  And  long  will  the  Sunday  School,  in  which  he  so  much  delighted 
to  be.  miss  his  cheerful  presence,  his  animated  voice  in  conducting  their 
singing,  and  his  counsels  to  shun  every  vicious  indulsence 

Kesolved.  That,  in  him  the  community  has  lost  one,  whose  principles  and 
practice  relative  to  oppression  and  intemperance,  were  most  decided  and 
positive,  and  were  well  -'known  and  read  of  all  men." 

Mr.  Norris  was  born  in  Sutton,  Vt.,  July  29,  1823,  and  was  therefore  39 
yciiis  01  fls^- 

I^'inusB  Barnes-Henry  Wing :— The  following  minute  was  adopted 
March  26.  1S.3:  Since  we  last  met,  the  Master  has  called  two  of  the 
beloved  members  of  our  session  to  their  heavenly  reward-Linus  B.  Barnes, 
suddenly  on  the  6th  of  Jan.  last,  aged  69:  and'Henry  Wing,  after  a  long 
and  pkinful  illness,  on  the  31st  of  the  same  month,  aged  59  Thus  within 
one  month,  these  onr  brethren,  wise  counsellors,  gentle,  kind,  men  after 
the  pattern  of  the  Beloved  Disciple,  have  entered  into  rest,  leaving  us  to 
monrn  their  loss.  But  we  sre  thankful  and  rejoice  that  this  church  has 
been  permitted  t^o  possess  and  furnish  such  men,  honored  alike  bv  all  who 
knew  them  for  tiieir  moral  and  spiritual  worth;  and  whose  pure  and  noble 
record,  a  legacy  to  the  church  Jind  their  families,  is  more  precious  than  gold, 
town      ''"^^  ^'^      °'"° '°  ^'■aDvi"e>  Mass.    Mr.  Wing  was  born  in   this 

Samuel  S.  Tallmadge  was  born  in  Rhinebeck.  N.  Y.,  1787  His  "rand- 
tather  was  a  Presbyterian  clergyman  on  Long  Island  He  received  his 
mercantile  training  in  the  store  of  his  uncle  in  Litchfield,  Conn.  Jan.  1st. 
;„ „  '  »?^^'''''^^,'^°°  ^^.^'*  ^^'^^^  of  Woodbury,  Conn.,  and  the  following 
year  settled  in  Glen's  Palls,  where  he  resided  until  1848.  when  he  removed 
to  hpnngfield,  Ohio,  where,  and  in  Piqua  of  the  same  state,  he  lived  until 
his  death,  Dec.  13.  1868.  He  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  here  more  than 
twenty  years,  and  superintendent  of  schools  for  some  time.  He  was  an 
emer  lu  this  church  for  eighteen  years,  deacon  in  the  1st  Congregational 
Church  of  hpnngfield,  elder  and  Sunday  School  superintendent  in  Piqua 
He  was  a  solid  and  true  Christian  man.  His  last  words,  after  his  sight  had 
failed,  were,  "Jesus,  precious;  yes.  oh  yes,  I  know  Him  " 


l^een  taking,  it  is  adapted  to  impress  upon  us  how  individual 
Christians  die,  and  yet  the  church  lives.  "Other  men  labored,  and 
ye  are  entered  into  their  labors."  The  original  nine  who  ct)mposed 
this  church  have  long  since  been  gone — the  last  two,  Naomi  Ranger 
and  Ann  Goodrich,  lived  several  years  into  my  pastorate.  Every 
one  of  the  subscribers  to  build  the  first  church  edifice,  long  since  left 
his  own  earthly  tabernacle  in  the  dust.  And  coming  down  forty 
years,  two  only  of  the  five  elders  composing  the  session  in  1846,  are 
now  living  — Albert  Biakeslee,  83  years  old,  and  Sheldon  Benedict,  80. 
Two  only  of  the  six  trustees  who  subscribed  my  call  now  remain, 
and  neither  of  them  is  now  a  member  of  the  congregation.  Of  the 
105  subscribers  to  build  the  second  church,  a  few  of  whom  were 
never  members  of  the  congregation,  only  twenty  now  remain  with  us, 
and  forty-five  are  known  to  have  passed  on  to  another  world.  Of 
the  182  communicants  thirty  years  ago,  it  is  certain  that  90,  aliout 
one-half,  are  dead,  and  only  44  are  found  among  us  now.  There 
have  been,  according  to  the  best  reckoning  that  I  can  make,  918 
different  communicants  in  this  church  at  Glen's  Falls,  of  whom  only 
260  now  remain  resident.  We,  my  brethren,  belong  to  an  army 
that  are  passing  on  and  disappearing  from  sight  over  the  flood.  And 
while  we  take  our  characters  along  with  us  for  ourselves,  we  shall 
also  leave  them  behind  us,  to  abide  here  as  moral  causes  to  do  their 
work  long  after  we  are  gone.  As  our  fathers  have  all  done  some- 
thing to  make  us  and  this  church  what  we  are  to-day,  so  we  shall  do 
something  for  the  good  or  ill  of  the  generation  following. 

I  am  not  blind  to  the  fact  that  in  a  little  while  I  must  cease  from 
the  blessed  work  in  which  I  have  served  you  so  long.  My  pastoral 
life  has  been  a  sincere  and  honest  one,  although  a  very  imperfect  one. 
Your  great  kindness  to  me  always,  and  forbearance,  when  many 
times  bodily  suffering  has  rendered  my  official  performances  languid 
if  not  disjointed,  will  ever  abide  in  the  memory  of  my  heart;  and 
ever,  in  the  future  as  in  the  past,  they  shall  prevent  my  joining  in 
the  too  prevalent  complaint  of  clergymen,  that  their  lot  has  been 
cast  on  the  "shady  side."  I  have  been  happy  and  honored,  far 
beyond  what  I  have  deserved.  But  let  no  one  dream  Uiat  any 
pastor,  of  ordmary   sensihdities,  the  father  of  a   family,  can  preside 


41 


over  one  parish  for  thirty  years,  witiiout  bearing  many  heavy  crosses, 
and  spending  many  sleepless  nights.  His  own  imguarded  actions 
and  words  v?ill  come  back  to  him  on  the  wings  of  reflection,  and 
fester  in  regret  and  sorrow;  and  the  words  and  silence  of  others  will 
often  be  barbed  arrows  to  his  soul.  But,  as  a  life  spent  among  you, 
the  Master  and  you  have  made  the  "  yoke  easy  and  the  burden 
light."  I  shall,  no  doubt,  do  all  the  ministerial  work  which  remains 
to  me,  m  this  parish;  whether  it  shall  he  reckoned  by  a  few  months 
or  a  few  years;  whether  I  depart  with  the  harness  on,  or  give  place 
before  my  departure  to  younger  years  and  more  sparkling  blood.  No 
man  who  is  not  more  of  a  man  than  I  am,  settles  in  a  new  field  after 
he  is  three-score  years  old.  Twenty  years  ago,  I  might  have  made 
choice  out  of  several  very  inviting  fields,  and  gone  from  among  you. 
I  asked  counsel,  and  staid,  as  it  was  my  desire  to  do.  But  my 
working-day  has  now  passed  the  meridian.  The  shadows  of  the 
afternoon  perceptably  appear,  and  begin  to  lengthen.  There  are 
white  hairs  on  my  head  and  furrows  in  my  brow.  I  pray  every  day, 
that  when  the  time  comes,  a.s  soon  it  must  if  I  live,  for  me  to  lay 
down  my  stewardship,  I  may  do  it  without  souring  all  the  sweetness 
which  your  long-continued  Christian  kindness  has  so  abundantly 
infused  into  it.  We  have  been  looking  back  at  our  history.  I  have 
laid  to  their  rest  in  Christian  trust  and  hope  almost  a  whole  genera- 
lion  of  this  flock,  of  your  fathers  and  kindred.  '  Looking  forward,  on 
this  thirtieth  anniversary  of  my  entering  the  pulpit  of  this  church, 
whatever  relation  I  shall  continue  to  sustain  to  you,  I  expect  to 
spend  the  rest  of  my  days  among  you,  and  to  sleep  at  last  with  my 
people. 


ADMISSION    TO    MEMBERSHIP. 


After  the  names  of  persons  who  have  been  approved  by  the 
Session,  have  been  called,  and  while  they  are  coming  forward,  let 
the  Minister  recite  such  of  the  following  passages  as  he  may  deem 
most  appropriate  : 

We  are  journeying  unto  the  place  of  which  the  Lord  said,  I  will 
give  it  you.  Come  thou  with  us,  and  we  will  do  thee  good;  for  the 
Lord  hath  spoken  good  concerning  Israel. — Numbers  lo:  29.. 

He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved;  Init  he  that 
believeth  not  shall  be  damned. — Mark  16:  16. 

Whosoever  shall  confess  me  before  men,  him  shall  the  Son  of  Man 
also  confess  before  the  angels  of  God.  — Luke  12:  8. 

Remember  now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth. — Eccl.  12:1. 

If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take 
up  his  cross  and  follow  me. — Matt.  16:  24 

Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me;  for  I  am 
meek  and  lowly  in  Ireart;  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls. — 
Matt.  11:  28,  29. 

And  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that 
heareth  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come.  And  whoso- 
ever will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely. — Rev.  22:  17. 

FORMULA. 

Grace  he  U7ito  you,  and  peace,  from  Ood  our  Father, 
and  from  the  Lord  Je.ms  Christ. 

You  are  here,  beloved,  at  Christ's  invitation  and  com- 
mand, to  become  members  of  his  chnrch,  on  profession 
of  your  faith.  Let  your  souls  mafi:nit'y  the  Lord  for  your 
hig:h-caning;  and  stand  firm  in  the  Apostle's  assurance. 
That  if  you  shall  confess  with  your  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus, 


43 


and  shall  believe  in  yoiir  hearts  that  God  hath  raised  Him 
from  the  dead,  you  shall  he  saved.  For  with  the  heart 
man  heUeveth  unto  righteousness,  and  with  the  mouth 
confession  is  made  unto  salvation. 

Receiving  the  Bible  as  the  word  of  God,  do  you  firmly 
hold  and  sincerely  profess  the  faith  of  the  church  uni- 
versal, as  contained  in  the  Apostle's  Creed:  Bo  you 
believe  in  God,  the  Father  Almighty,  maker  of  Heaven 
and  Earth  ?  And  in  Jesus  Christ,  his  only  Son  our  Lord; 
who  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  born  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,-  suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  was  crucified, 
dead,  and  buried;  the  third  day  he  rose  from  the  dead; 
he  ascended  into  Heaven,  and  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of 
God,  the  Father  Almighty;  from  thence  he  shall  come 
to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead%  Bo  you  believe  in  the 
Holy  Ghost;  the  holy  Catholic  Church;  the  communion 
of  saints;  the  forgiveness  of  sins;  the  resurrection  of  the 
body,  and  the  life  everlasting  f 
Let  each  one  answer — I  do. 

*[Some  of]  you  received  baptism  in  infancy,  on  the 
faith  of  parents  who  were  in  the  fold  of  the  church. 
This  you  now  approve  and  ratify,  by  coming  to  the 
Lord's  Table,  and  completing  the  membership  which 
thev  began  for  you. 

*[Others  of]  you  were  not  favored  by  being  in  the 
morning  of  life  given  to  the  Lord  in  baptism;  and  you 
come  now  to  receive  the  ordinance,  as  a  profession  of 
your  faith  in  Christ,  and  your  admission  to  the  body  of 
his  disciples.  Repenting  of  sin,  deploring  your  lost 
condition  without  redemption,  and  receiving  the  Lord 
Jesus  as  your  Deliverer  and  Saviour,  will  you  now  give 
yourselves  to  him  in  this  sacred  rite,  to  be  His  forever. 


*The  words  in  brackets,  and  the  whole  paragraph,  to  be  used  or 
omitted,  as  the  case  requires. 


44 


and  to  be  kept  by  the  Holy  Spirit  unto  everlasting:  life? 

Answer — By  the  Spirit's  help,  I  will. 

Baptism  is  here  administered;    and  the  Minister  then  proceeds: 

If  ye  then  he  risen  with  Christ,  seek  those  things  vihieh 
are  above,  where  Christ  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God. 
Set  your  affeetion  on  things  above,  not  on  things  on  the 
earth.  But  count  not  yourselves  to  have  already  uion,  or 
as  already  perfect;  but  press  forward  toioard  the  mark, 
growing  in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  Be  follouters  of  God  as  dear  chil- 
dren; and  walk  in  love,  as  Christ  also  hath  loved  you. 
and  given  himself  for  you. 

*[Aiicl]  you,  dear  brethren,  who  now  transfer  your 
special  membership  from  other  particular  churches  to 
us,  will  you  rise  and  stand  in  your  places,  in  token  of 
the  formation  and  existence  of  this  special  brotherhood? 
As  Pastor  of  this  church,  and  on  behalf  of  the  members, 
I  give  you  Christian  greeting,  and  bid  you  welcome  to 
our  fold. 

All  the  members  here  rising,  the  Pastor  proceeds  as  for  them  : 

Come  in,  ye  blessed  of  the  Lord.  We  cordially  wel- 
come you  to  a  participation  with  us,  in  the  duties  and 
toils,  the  joys  and  blessings  of  the  gospel.  We  promise 
you  our  sympathy  and  counsel — we  ask  yours  in  return. 
Noic,  therefore,  ye  are  no  more  .strangers  and  foreigners, 
but  felloto-citizens  with  the  saints,  and  of  the  household 
of  God. 

The  Lord  bless  yo/f,  and.  keep  you;  the  Lord  make  his 
face  to  .shine  upon  you,  and  be  gracious  unto  you;  the 
Lord  lift  up  his  countenance  upon  you,  and,  give  you 


BAPTISM    OF    INFANTS. 


Baptism  is  not  to  be  administered  to  any  that  are  out  of  the  visible 
church,  till  they  profess  their  faith  in  Christ,  and  obedience  to  Him: 
but  the  infants  of  such  as  are  members  of  the  visible  church,  are  to 
be  baptized. — Shorter  Catechism,  Question  95. 

Children,  born  within  the  pale  of  the  visible  church,  and  dedi- 
cated to  God  in  baptism,  are  under  the  inspection  and  government  of 
the  church;  and  they  are  to  be  taught  to  read  and  repeat' the  cate- 
chism, the  Apostle's  Creed,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  They  are  to  be 
taught  to  pray,  to  abhor  sin,  to  fear  God,  and  to  obey  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  And  when  they  come  to  years  of  discretion,  if  they  be 
free  from  scaiidal,  appear  sober  and  steady,  and  to  have  sufficient 
knowledge  to  discern  the  Lord's  body,  they  ought  to  be  informed  it 
is  their  duty  and  their  privilege  to  come  to  the  Lord's  Supper. — 
Directory  for  Worship,  clrap.  IX.  sec.  i. 

When  God  called  Abraham  to  stand  at  the  head  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament church,  He  entered  into  covenant  with  him,  promising  to  be 
a  God  unto  him,  and  to  his  seed  after  him;  when  Christ  preached 
by  Peter  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  the  dispensation  of  the  Spirit 
commenced  and  the  New  Testament  church  arose,  He  confirmed 
through  the  Apostle  the  same  gracious  covenant,  calling  upon  the 
people  to  repent,  for  the  promise  was  unto  them  and  to  their  children. 
The  household  is  of  God,  and  the  church,  by  divine  constitution,  has 
always  included  the  children,  who,  equally  with  their  parents,  have 
been  entitled  to  the  sign  and  sea/  of  their  membership.  Thus 
Abraham  circumcised  his  household;  and  the  Apostle  baptized  the 
jailer  and  his  household,  and  Lydia  and  her  household.  And  so  it 
has  been  from  the  beginning  throughout  the  great  body  of  the  church. 

FORM. 

At  the  moment  the  imfenta,  hriugiug  their  r-hildreii, 


reac^i  their  place  before  the  Minister,  let  him  read  or 
repeat  the  following  tvords: 

And  they  brought  young  t-liildreu  to  Him  that  He 
should  touch  them;  and  his  disciples  rebuked  those  that 
brought  them. 

But  when  Jesus  saw  it,  He  was  nuich  displeased,  and 
said  unto  them,  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me, 
and  forbid  them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you.  Whosoever  shall  not  receive 
the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not  enter 
therein. 

And  He  took  them  up  in  his  arms,  put  his  hands  upon 
them,  and  blessed  them. — Mark  X.  13-16. 

Beloved,  bringing  your  children  as  you  now  do  to 
receive  this  sacred  rite,  let  these  exj^ressive  words  en- 
courage and  assure  your  hearts.  Observe,  how,  by  his 
displeasure,  our  Saviour  corrected  the  mistake  of  his 
disciples,  that  the  young  children  should  not  be  brought; 
how,  by  saying  that  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  He 
gave  the  reason  why  they  should  come;  and  how,  by 
taking  them  up  in  his  arms,  putting  his  hands  on  them 
and  blessing  them,  he  did  much  more  for  them  than 
their  parents  had  thought  to  ask.  Therefore,  doubt  not, 
but  fully  believe,  that  he  who  is  the  same  yesterday,  to- 
day and  forever,  receives  these  your  children,  and 
approves  of  your  presenting  them  to  him  in  his  oAvn 
ordinance,  and  will  do  for  them  far  more  than  you  are 
able  to  ask  or  think. 

Will  you  teach  ^7*  is  cii  ild  the  truths  and  precepts  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures— especially  the  Ten  Commandments, 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  the  Apostle's  Creed?  Will  you 
remind  him,  at  proper  times,  that  he  has  been  made  a. 
member  of  Christ's  fold  by  baptism;  teach  him  to  pray, 
and  pray  with  and  for  him;  restrain  him  from  the  form- 
ati(jii  of  evil  habits,  and  encourage  him  in  ways  of  well- 


47 


doing;  and  by  faithful  effort  and  godly  example,  as  much 
as  in  you  lies,  will  you  bring  him  up  for  Christ  and  his 
Church? 

Let  the  Minister  say  to  the  parents,  Name  this  child; 
and  repeating  the  name,  he  shall  sprinkle  Avater  upon 
his  forehead,  saying,  /  baptize^  &c.;  closing  all  with 
prayer. 


RULING    ELDERS. 

1 

These,  in  conjunction  with  the  Pastor,  constitute  the  Session  of        | 

the  Church.     They  admit  and  dismiss  members;    with  them 

resides 

the  power  of  discipline;    they  have  control  of  the  worship  n 

nd  the 

j//r/V«a/ interests  of  the  congregation;  they  are  elected  by  the 

mem- 

bers  of  the  Church;  their  office  is  perpetual,  but  their  term  of 

service 

may  be  limited.     Previous  to  April  21,   1851,  the  election  was   to           | 

serve  for  life  ;  at  this  date  it  was  voted  that  Hereafter  the  t 

'r>ii  of 

service  for  the  ciders  of  this  church  shall  be  six  years.     The 

bllow- 

ing  is  the  list  of  elders  from  the  begining  : 

Elected,   1808.    John  Folsom,         -         ■         -         -     Died, 

1839. 

'         "        John  Moss,  Jr,    -         -         -          Dismissed, 

1822. 

'      1809.    Jonathan  Harris, 

'        "        Matthew  Scott, 

'        "        Joseph  Caldwell, 

1819.     Solomon  P.  Goodrich,        -        -      Died, 

1831. 

'        "        Samuel  Cranston  -        -        .        -     Dis. 

1832. 

1827.     Charles  G.  Jones,       -                 -          " 

1829. 

'        "        Gridley  H.  Packard,     -        -        -       " 

1830. 

1830.     Levi  Hamilton,        -        -        -        -     " 

1833- 

Samuel  S.  Tallmadge, 

1848. 

'      1831.     Sidney  Berry,    -        -         -         -        Died, 

1839. 

"        Elias  Hawley,       -         -         -         -       Dis. 

1833- 

'      1834.     Albert  Blakesly, 

'      1838.     Sheldon  Benedict, 

"        Linus  B.  Barnes, 

Myron  Osborn,  -         .         -         .         Died, 

1850. 

185 1.     Orville  Cronkhite, 

John  J.  Miller, 

'      1855.     Henry  Wing, 

' 

'        "        William  T.  Norris,        -        -           Died, 

1862. 

49 


Elected,  1857.     Linus  B.  Barnes, 

"        Orville  Cronkhite,     -        -        -       Dis.  1863. 
Sheldon  Benedict, 
1870.     Linus  B.  Barnes,       -        -        -        Died,  1873. 
"        Sheldon  Benedict,        -        -        -        -  Acting. 
Henry  Wlng,     -        -        -        -        Died,  1873. 
John  J.  Miller.     -----  Acting. 
"        William  Hotchkiss,         -        -        -  " 

Frederick  A.  Johnson,        -        .        .        " 

"        Joseph  Fowler, " 

1875.    J.  L.  Cunningham,       .        .        -        .        " 
Eleazer  Goodman,  -        -        -        -     " 

James  S.  Cooley,         .        -        -        -        ^ 


TRUSTEES. 


These  are  to  consist  of  not  less  than  three  nor  more  than  n'mc. 
They  are  to  be  divided  into  ///ri?i?  classes  ;  the  term  of  service  of  each 
class  is  three  years;  so  that  there  is  an  election  of  one  class  each 
year.  The  congregation  must  be  publicly  notified  of  the  time  and 
place  of  the  election  to  fill  vacancies,  at  least  fifteen  days  before  the 
meeting  is  held,  and  on  two  successive  Sabbaths.  The  legal  voters 
for  trustees,  are  all  male  'persons,  2-1  years  of  age,  who  have  been 
stated  worshippers  in  the  congregation  for  one  year  preceding  the 
election,  and  have  contributed  to  the  support  of  the  congregation  ac- 
cording to  the  customs  thereof.  Two  of  the  elders  of  the  church 
are  to  preside  at  the  meeting,  receive  the  votes,  be  the  judges  of  the 
qualifications  of  the  electors,  and  certify  to  the  result  of  the  election. 
There  is  to  be  a  clerk,  and  all  must  be  duly  recorded.  The  Trustees, 
thus  elected  and  perpetuated,  are  a  body  corporate  under  a  statute  of 
the  State.  Their  office  is  prescribed  by  law,  and  is  wholly  secular. 
They  arc  to  take  charge  of  the  estate  and  property  of  the  congregation, 
and  transact  all  affairs  relative  to  the  temporalities  thereof.  The 
following  is  the  list  of  Trustees  of  this  church  from  the  beginning: 

ELhXTED. 

1807.     William  Robards,  \  ,,,, 

"        John  A.  Ferris.      f      i^tCla.ss. 

Daniel  Peck,  \      „ ,  ,,, 

,,         tir-ir        TT  -      2d  Class. 

"         William  Hay.  ( 

".       John  Folsom,          \  ,  ,,, 

Micajah  Pettit.        \  •''^  ^'^''^• 

181 1.     Uzziel  Stevens,       (  mt  riocs 

William  Robards.  )  ist«-lass. 


John  Folsom,  )  ,  ^, 

JohnThomaL  \  ^d  Class. 

Edmund  Peck,  (  ,  p, 

William  Wing.  j"  ^'^  ^''''''^- 


SI 

ELECTEE 

ELECTED 

r8i2. 

John  A.  Ferris. 

1827. 

Sidney  Berry. 

Uzziel  Stevens. 

1828. 

Horatio  Buel. 

1813. 

John  Thomas. 

" 

Moody  Ames. 

" 

John  Folsoin. 

1829. 

Sidney  Berry. 

1814. 

Asahel  Clark. 

'< 

Lewis  Newman. 

Ehiathan  Parsons. 

" 

Samuel  Estabrook. 

1815. 

Stephen  Clark. 

1830. 

John  L.  Curtenius. 

1 

John  A.  Ferris. 

" 

Sheldon  Benedict. 

1816. 

Thomas  Cotton. 

" 

John  Van  Pelt. 

" 

John  Folsoni. 

183I. 

Lewis  Newman. 

" 

John  Thomas. 

Sidney  Berry. 

i8i7. 

Solomon  P.  Goodrich. 

1832. 

Moody  Ames. 

" 

Hezekiah  Leavens. 

Jona.  W.  Freeman. 

1818. 

Elias  Hawley. 

" 

Fletcher  Ransom. 

■' 

John  A.  Ferris. 

1834. 

Sidney  Berry. 

" 

Royal  Leavens. 

" 

Lewis  Newman. 

1820. 

J.  Lyman  Arms. 

" 

Sheldon  Benedict. 

" 

Solomon  P.  Goodrich. 

" 

G.  G.  Hawley. 

" 

John  Thomas. 

1835- 

Jona.  W.  Freeman. 

B.  F.  Butler. 

" 

Alexander  Folsom. 

1821. 

Horatio  Buel. 

1836. 

Lewis  Newman. 

•' 

Elias  Hawley. 

" 

Sheldon  Benedict. 

1822. 

J.  Lyman  Arms. 

1837. 

Sidney  Berry. 

" 

Solomon  P.  Goodrich. 

'' 

G.  G.  Hawley. 

1823. 

John  Thomas. 

" 

Billy  J.  Clark. 

'• 

Luther  Johnson. 

1838. 

Billy  J.  Clark. 

Bogardus  Piersons. 

" 

Jona.   W.  Freeman. 

1 

Samuel  Cook. 

1839. 

Lewis  Newman. 

1824. 

Elias  Hawley. 

" 

Abram  Wing. 

" 

Alpheus  Hawley. 

" 

George  Cronkhite. 

i            1825. 

Solomon  P.  Goodrich. 

1840. 

G.  G.  Hawley. 

1               " 

Elnathan  Parsons. 

" 

Linus  B.  Barnes. 

1S26. 

Bogardus  Piersons. 

184I. 

Billy  J.  Clark. 

" 

Roswell  Weston. 

" 

George  Sanford. 

1827. 

Charles  G.  Jones. 

1842. 

Lewis  Newman. 

52 

ELECTEE 

. 

ELECTED 

1842. 

George  Cronkhite. 

i860. 

George  G.  Hawley. 

1843. 

G.  G.  Hawley. 

1861. 

George  Clendon,  Jr. 

" 

Linus  B.  Barnes. 

1862. 

Stephen  L.  Goodman,  in 

1844. 

Halsey  R.  Wing. 

place  of  Capt.  Clendon, 

" 

Alfred  C.  Farlin. 

gone  to  the  war. 

1845. 

Stevens  Carpenter. 

" 

Linus  B.  Barnes. 

" 

Albert  N.  Cheney. 

" 

Fred.  A.  Johnson,  Jr. 

1846, 

Ira  A.  Paddock. 

•S63. 

Ezra  Benedict. 

" 

Orville  Cronkhite. 

A.  C.  Tearse. 

1847. 

Linus  B.  Barnes. 

1864. 

Stephen  L.  Goodman. 

" 

Thomas  J.  Strong. 

1865. 

Daniel  Peck,  in  place  of 

1848. 

James  C.  Clark. 

Ezra      Benedict,      re- 

" 

Benjamin  F.  Shattuck 

moved  from  town. 

[Trustees  reduced  to  five.] 

" 

Henry  Crandall. 
Jerome  Lapham. 

1849. 

Fred.  A.  Johnson. 

1866. 

A.  C.  Tearse. 

1850. 

Charles  Rockwell. 

" 

Daniel  Peck. 

" 

Linus  B.  Barnes. 

1867. 

Stephen  L.  Goodman. 

185,. 

George  Cronkhite. 

1868. 

Henry  Crandall. 

" 

G.  G.  Hawley. 

" 

James  A.  Freligh. 

" 

Halsey  R.  Wing. 

1869. 

A.  C.  Tearse. 

1852. 

George  Cronkhite. 

" 

Thomas  S.  Coolidge. 

Fred.  A.  Johnson. 

1870. 

Stephen  L.  Goodman. 

1853. 

Linus  B.  Barnes. 

187I. 

Henry  Crandall. 

.854. 

Halsey  R.  Wing. 

" 

James  A.  Freligh. 

G.  G.  Hawley. 

" 

Martin  Coffin,  in  place  of 

1855- 

George  Clendon,  Jr. 

A.  C.  Tearse,  removed 

" 

Fred.  A.  Johnson,  Jr. 

from  town. 

1856. 

Linus  B.  Barnes. 

1872. 

Martin  Coffin. 

Fred.  A.  Johnson. 

" 

M.  L.  Wilmarth. 

1857- 

Halsey  R.  Wing. 

" 

Thomas  S.  Coolidge. 

" 

G.  G.  Hawley. 

1876. 

Martin  L.  Wilmarth. 

1858. 

George  Clendon,  Jr. 

" 

Thomas  S.  Coolidge. 

1859. 

Linus  B.  Barnes. 

" 

Martin  Coffin. 

Fred.  A.  Johnson,  Jr. 

" 

Samuel  Pruyn. 

i860. 

Halsey  R.  Wing. 

Stephen  L.  Goodman. 

OFFICERS 

Jfastoi]. 

Rev.    a.   J.    FENNEL. 

.$es8ion. 

Sheldon  Benedict, 

Fred.  A.  Johnson, 

William  Hotchkiss 

, 

Joseph  Fowler, 

John  J.  Miller, 

John  L.  Cunningham, 

Eleazer  Goodman, 

James  F.  Cooley. 

tcndcnt  of  i^nnt 

n\)   School. 

Fred.  A.  Johnson. 

(trustees. 

Martin  L.  Wilmarth,                 | 
Thomas  S.  Coolidge,                   ( 

TV  ,n  expires  May,  1877. 

Martin  Coffin, 
Samuel  Pruyn, 

Term  expires  May,  1878. 

S.    L.    (.iOODMAN, 

Term  expires  May,  1879. 

NOTICES. 


Preaching  every  Sabbath  at  103  A.  M.;  and  every  Sabbath 
evening,  except  those  of  the  days  on  which  the  Lord's  Supper  is 
observed. 

The  Lord's  Supper  is  observed  at  3  o'clock  p.  M.,  on  the  first 
Sabbaths  of  January,  April,  July  and  October.  On  tlie  evenings  of 
these  days  there  is  a  meeting  of  the  Sunday  School  for  review, 
addresses  and  prayer. 

There  is  a  Prayer  Meetmg  in  the  church  every  Wednesday 
evening,  except  the  ones  occurring  next  before  the  communion 
Sabbath;  on  these  evenings  there  is  a  Preparatory  Lecture.  At  the 
close  of  this  service  is  the  stated  meeting  of  the  Session,  especially 
for  the  reception  of  members  to  the  church. 

The  stated  time  for  the  baptism  of  children  is  at  the  opening  of 
the  communion  service. 

The  Sunday  School  meets  immediately  after  the  morning  service, 
in  the  chuixh. 

A  Sunday  School  Prayer  Meeting  is  held  statedly  in  Room  No. 
4,  Opera  House  Block,  commencing  an  hour  and  a  quarter  before 
the  Sabbath  evening  preaching. 


MEMBERS. 


The  following  list  embraces  only  resident  members,  and  a  few 
who  though  living  out  of  town  havey  not  wished  to  sever  their 
connection  with  us.  Pr.  appended  to  a  name  signifies  that  the 
person  was  received  by  profession.  Names  not  marked  are  of  those 
received  by  Idte-r. 


M. 

WHEN  REC'D. 

Mrs.  Adaline  E.  Arnold,  Pr July,   18T0 

Alson  B.  Abbott,  Pr April,  1873 

Mrs.  Esther  G.  Allen Sept.,    " 

B. 

Sheldon  Benedict Aug.,  1831 

Albert  Blakesley April,  1833 

Mrs.  Julia  Blakesley "       " 

Mrs.  Sarah  Benedict Mar.,  18.34 

Mrs.  Jane  Brown,  Pr April,  1839 

Mrs.  Susan  Bink April,  1842 

Mrs.  Aurelia  Bennet "       " 

Mrs.  Caroline  M.  Burdick,  Pr "     1850 

John  H.  Burnham,  Pr "        " 

Mrs.  Eliza  Billings July,    1855 

Miss  Elizabeth  C.  Boyd,  Pr 

Rufus  Boyd Oct.,       " 

Mrs.  Eliza  Boyd "        " 

Mrs.  Nancy  Buckbee,  Pr "     18.51 

Mrs.  Catharine  M.  Boyd April,  1868 

Samuel  Gregory  Boyd,  Pr "     1873 

Mrs.  Sophia  White  Barker,  Pr "       " 

Mrs.  Martha  Boyd Dec.,  1875 

Mrs.  Mary  E.  Brown,  Pr Mar.,  1876 

Miss  Martha  Bfown,  Pr "       " 

Mrs.  Alvira  Burt,  Pr " 


WHEN  EEC  D. 

Miss  Miriam  Brundage April,  187») 

Pliny  Pierce  Braley,  Pr 

Mrs.  Susan  S.  Bradt,  Pr July,     " 

Miss  Eliza  Brown,  Pr.,  [Stewart] "     1807 

Mrs.  Eda  Fidelia  Ball,  Pr Jan.,    187T 

(^. 

Mrs.  Catharine  CoiHn,  Pr May,    1840 

James  Camp,  Pr July,      " 

George  Cronkhite,  Pr April,  1843 

Mrs.  Annah  Cheney,  Pr "       " 

Mrs.  Margaret  Crossett,  Pr "       " 

Mrs.  Rhoda  Cronkhite Jan.,    1846 

Mrs.  Frances  Camp,  Pr "       18.52 

George  Clendon,  Jr.,  Pr '•       1854 

Mrs.  Mary  Clendon,  Pr "         " 

Mrs.  Harriet  W.  Clark July,    1858 

Miss  Juliaette  B.  Cool,  Pr "     1863 

Mrs.  Mary  Collins April,  1863 

Miss  Isabella  Arms  Cheney,  Pr "     1868 

Mrs.  Norman  Cole "      1869 

Mrs.  Maria  Conkling "      1872 

James  S.  Cooley Jan.,    1874 

Mis.  Keba  Cooley 

John  L.  Cunningham,  Pr April,  1874 

Mrs.  Lizzie  F.  Cunningham,  Pr "        " 

Mrs.  Georgiana  Coolidge,  Pr Jan.,    1875 

H.  R.  T.  Coffin July,    1875 

Miss  Gertrude  Maria  Cole,  Pr Jan.,    1876 

Mrs.  Catharine  Angle  Cool April,  1876 

Mrs.  Maria  Eliza  Conkey,  Pr "       " 

Mrs.  ]\Iatilda  M.  Chapin,  Pr July,    1876 

Mrs.  Catharine  J.  Coffin,  Pr Oct.,    1874 

Mrs.  Charlotte  Draper June,  1849 

Miss  Charlotte  Ann  Draper,  Pr April,  1868 

Miss  Julia  Draper,  Pr 

Mrs.  Emily  P.  DeLong,  Pr "       " 

Mrs.  Mary  Clendon  DeLong,  Pr '. . . .  July,      " 

Mrs.  Carrie  A.  DeLong Jan.,    1870 


WHEN  REC'D. 

Mrs.  Henry  Dean July,    1873 

Mrs.  Emma  C.  DeLong,  Pr April,  1873 

Lemuel  P.  Dean,  Pr "       " 

Mrs.  Ellen  Day,  Pr "       " 

George  Dunham July,    1873 

Mrs.  Amelia  Dunham "       " 

Miss  Abigail  Dean,  Pr.,  [Westcott] Oct.,    1843 

Mrs.  Sarah  Enos,  Pr Oct.,    1847 

Halmer  Alfred  Evans,  Pr Mar.,  1876 

Richard  T.  Effner June,  1871 

Mrs.  Charlotte  Eflfner "        " 

Mrs.  Pelina  Flack,  Pr April,  1843 

Mrs.  Racillia  A.  Eennel "     1847 

Mrs.  Jane  Fobes Oct.,    1849 

Mrs.  Emma  Fassett,  Pr July,   18.55 

Mrs.  Julia  Arms  Fowler,  Pr April,  1868 

Mrs.  Eliza  C.  Fennel  Pr "        " 

Miss  Isabel  Freligh,  Pr "        " 

Chas.  H.  Fennel,  Pr "       " 

Mrs.  Cornelia  Ferguson,  Pr "        " 

James  A.  Freligh "       " 

Mrs.  Susan  Hoyt  Freligh "       " 

Joseph  Fowler July,   1869 

Miss  Margaret  Elizabeth  Ferguson,  Pr April,  1873 

BjTon  B.  Fowler Dec,  1875 

Clayton  Willis  Finch,  Pr July,   1876 

(^. 

Heman  Goodman Oct.,    1853 

Mi-s.  Ann  Maria  Gilchrist,  Pr April,  18.56 

Eleazar  Goodman July,  1857 

Mrs.  Jane  B.  Goodman "         " 

Mrs.  Julia  A.  Goodrich,  [Burnham] Jan.,    1860 

S.  L.  Goodman April,    " 

Mrs.  Juliaette  Goodman "       " 

Amos  Graves Jan.,    1868 

Mrs.  Mar>-  Graves Jan.,   1868 


WHEN  REC'D. 

Miss  Lovina  Graves,  Pr.,  [Potter,] Jan.     1868 

Mrs.  Anna  Fassett  Goodman,  Pr April,  1868 

Miss  Elma  Goodman,  Pr.,  [West] "       " 

Miss  Marj'  K.  Goodman,  Pr "       " 

Samuel  Boyd  Goodman,  Pr "       " 

Miss  Mila  Gilchrist,  Pr 

Mrs.  Harriet  McGregor July,    1870 

Miss  Mahala  Goodman,  Pr April,  1873 

Miss  Ellen  Goodman,  Pr "      1873 

Henry  Grover,  Pr March,  1876 

Miss  Emily  M.  Grover,  Pr "        " 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Gayger Jan.  1853 

Mrs.  George  Gilchrist April,  1876 

John  Pierce  Goodman,  Pr "       " 


George  G.  Hawley,  Pr April,  1834 

Mrs.  Eliza  Hawley,  Pr March,  1834 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Plolley,  Pr '. April,  1843 

Miss  Ezuba  Hamilton,  Pr "       " 

Hiram  Holley. .- Oct.  1854 

George  K.  Hawley,  Pr April,  1855 

Miss  Gertrude  Eliza  Hawley,  Pr.  [McDonald] July,     " 

Miss  ilary  Hunt,  Pr.  [McDonald] "        1856 

Mrs.  Hepsibeh  Holley April,  1861 

Mrs.  Margaret  Hall July,    1867 

Mrs.  Dolly  Harrington Jan.,    1868 

Mrs.  Irene  Augusta  HaM'ley April,  1868 

Mrs.  Harriet  T.  Hawley "       " 

William   Hotchkiss Oct.,    1869 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hotchkiss "       " 

L.  D.  D.  Hull July,    1870 

Mrs.  Mary  Lucretla  Haviland,  Pr April,  1873 

Edgar  B.  Hillis,  Pr 

Mrs.  Melissa  S.  Hull,  Pr "     1874 

Darius  Howe July,    1875 

Mrs.  Rachel  M.  Howe "       " 

Sanf ord  Hartman,  Pr Mar.,  1876 

Miss  Emma  Rachel  Howe,  Pr "        " 

John  Jay  Hitchcock,  Pr "        " 

Mrs.  Margaret  Hillis,  Pr April,  1850 

Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Hill Jan.,    1877 


WHEN  REC'D. 

Mrs.  Clarissa  Johnson,  Pr July,    ISIM 

Fred.  A.  Johnson,  Pr April,  1850 

Mrs.  Harriet  E.  Johnson,  Pr  July,    18.55 

Mrs.  Agnes  Conkling  Johnson,  Pr April,  1868 

Mrs.  Sarah  Jackman,  Pr July,    1868 

Emmet  Temple  Johnson,  Pr Mar.,  1876 


William  McKinney Sept.,  1830 

Mrs.  Marj'  McKinney "        " 

Mrs.  Eliza  Keys,  Pr April,  1838 

Ruliff  Kipp July,    1840 

Mrs.  Delia  M.  Krum Jan.,    1856 

Joseph  Kees,  Pr April,  1858 

Miss  Margaret  McKinney,  Pr July,    1868 

Miss  Lizzie  Kingsbury,  Pr April,  1873 

Mrs.  Nancy  Kees,  Pr "     1858 


Stephen  Lapham April,  1845 

Andrew  Latimore Oct.,    18.51 

Mrs.  Marj'  Lee,  Pr Jan.,    1853 

Thomas  Lenox Oct.,    18.58 

Mrs.  Melissa  A.  Luther,  Pr April,  1868 

Mrs.  Jennie  Aldrich  Leavens,  Pr "       " 

John  L.  Landon "       " 

Mrs.  Emma  Landon "        " 

Mrs.  Mary  A.  Leary Sept.,  1873 

Miss  Henrietta  C.  Landon,  Pr July,    1875 

Mrs.  Cornelia  S.  Lasher,  Pr April,  1876 

Miss  Elizabeth  Jane  Lenox,  Pr "       " 

Miss  Matilda  Latimore,  Pr "       " 

Mrs.  Hannah  Lapham,  Pr Mar.,  1876 

Byron  Lapham,  Pr "        " 

Mrs.  Minnie  Lapham,  pr .' April,  1868 

Miss  Mary  Jane  Landon,  Pr July,   1876 

Miss  Elen  Jane  Latimore,  Pr April,  1850 


m. 


WHEN  REC'D. 

John  J.  Miller,  Pr April,  1838 

Mrs.  Eunice  Miller Jan.,   1848 

Miss  Eliza  Masten June,  1845 

Miss  Elizabeth  T.  Morgan,  Pr April,  1855 

Carlos  Morgan "      1868 

Mrs.  Maria  Morgan "       " 

Miss  Mary  S.  Mott,  [Harris,] "       " 

Miss  Kate  Ellis  Morgan,  Pr.,  [Wells,] "       " 

Miss  Adaline  M.  Morgan,  Pr.,  [Langworthy,] July,      " 

Frank  Beecher  Mead,  Pr April,  1873 

Mrs.  Eliza  M.  Miller,  Pr July,   1876 


Mrs.  Mercy  Newcomb,  Pr April,  18.38 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  F.  Norris,  Pr "      1843 

Mrs.  Christiana  Neilson Jan.,    1861 

Mrs.  John  Nelson Dec,    1870 


Mrs.  Harmony  Osborn July,   1837 

Samuel  Henry  Osborn,  Pr April,  1843 

Miss  Lucretia  F.  Osborn,  Pr.,  [Staples,] "     1850 

Miss  Eleanor  Augusta  Osborn,  Pr.,  [Martindale,] July,  1863 


Mrs.  Lydia  Peabody,  Pr Oct.,    1834 

Mrs.  Mary  Putnam,  Pr "       1837 

Mrs.  Amanda  Parsons ."       1850 

Mrs.  Mary  Parry July,  1857 

Miss  Jane  Parry "        " 

Mrs.  Marian  Porter,  Pr April,  1867 

Miss  Deidamia  S.  Palmer,  Pr July,  1868 

Mrs.  Mary  Pike » "        " 

Samuel  Pruyn,  Pr Oct.,    1875 

Fred.  Fort  Pruyn,  Pr Mar.,  1876 

Mrs.  Alice  Genevieve  Pruyn,  Pr "        " 


WHEN  REC'D. 

Mrs.  Ruth  B.  Wing,  Pr April,  1858 

Mrs.  Susan  West,  Pr Oct.,    1859 

Mrs.  Mary  E.  Whitney April,  1859 

Mrs.  Kate  Finch  Wilmarth,  Pr July,    1871 

Miss  Dora  Wilson.. April,  1862 

Miss  Minnie  Wingr,  Pr April,  1868 

Miss  Lucy  Lee  Wing,  Pr "        " 

Henrj'E.  West,  Pr 

Miss  Angie  Clara  Wing,  Pr July,      " 

Mrs.  Mary  Smith  Wilmarth,  Pr 

Clarence  M.  Wilmarth,  Pr April,  1873 

William  Henry  Wing,  Pr Mar.,  1876 

Miss  Abigail  N.  Wilcox,  Pr "         " 

¥. 

Mrs.  Julia  Ann  Yatteau April,  1860 

Miss  Henrietta  Marie  Younglove,  Pr.,  [Beebe,] Jan.,    1876 

John  Young Mar.,     " 

Mrs.  Ellen  Young "         " 


BENEFICENCE. 


Our  annual  reports,  published  in  the  Assembly's  minutes  previous 
to  1864,  and  not  otherwise  preserved,  were  nearly  all  destroyed  by 
the  great  Jire.  Taking  the  reports  for  the  last  nine  years,  since  we 
occupied  our  present  church,  the  average  amount  contributed  by  the 
congregation,  for  objects  entirely  outside  of  our  own  expenses,  is 
about  $450.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  sums  given  during  the  whole 
thirty  years  would  average  $400 — which  would  make  $12,000  in  the 
aggregate.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  our  contributions  may  be  greatly 
increased  in  the  future.  Besides  great  readiness  to  contribute  to  all 
the  good  causes  in  which  the  evangelical  churches  are  united — Bible, 
Tract,  Sunday  School  Union,  Seamen's  Friend,  &c.— we  give  statedly 
to  our  own  Boards,  as  follows: 

Foreign  Missions;  Home  Missions;  Education  for  the  Ministry; 
Publication;   Church  Erection;   Ministerial  Relief. 


This  church  has  furnished  seven  ministers  of  the  gospel,  as 
follows: 

Henry  M.  Parsons(i).  A.  M. 
James  T.  Hamlin(2). 
Allen  McFarlancl(3). 

fljMr.  Parsons  was  born  in  Glen's  Falls,  July  27,  1813,  and  was  received 
to  the  communion  of  the  church  when  twelve  years  of  age.  He  prepared 
for  col lece  under  theinsitruction  of  William  Hicks,  a  sradiniteof  Durtmoath, 
at  the  old  Academy  on  Ridge  street;  and  at  the  Cambridge  Academy,  under 
Rev.  N.  E.  Prime,  D.  D.  He  w;is  admitted  to  Dartmouth,  hut  he  never 
became  a  student  at  that  college.  He  was  a  member  of  Williams  College 
for  about  two  years,  1831-3,  when  the  failure  of  his  health  compelled  him 
to  leave  and  seek  recrentiou;  and  from  that  time  onward  to  the  day  of  his 
death  he  was  an  habitual  invalid  He  frequently  sought  the  tonic  effect  of 
the  sea.  once  takins  a  whaling  voyage  of  nearly  a  year;  but  starting  on 
another,  he  was  lauded  by  the  captain  at  Fayall.  where  he  was  left  to  die. 
In  a  few  weeks,  however,  he  was  able  to  return  home.  His  complaint 
being  pulmonary,  he  frequently  sought  relief  at  the  Soutt.  For  some 
time  he  tausiht  in  Augusta,  Ga.;  also,  in  Apling.  of  the  same  state.  In 
January,  1S51,  this  writer,  greatly  to  his  own  joy.  fouud  him  a  st-ameu's 
missionary  in  Havana.  Cuba.  Notwitbstandins  Mr.  Parsons's  shattwed 
health  and  life-long  suflVrings,  by  virtue  of  strong  resolution  and  great 
force  of  character,  he  performed  a  very  effective  life-work,  and  left  behind 
him  a  record  of  great  usefuhiess.  as  a  teacher,  a  writer,  and  a  minister  of 
the  gospel.  He  taught  at  intervals  beginning  on  Luzerne  Mountain  when 
he  was  seventeen  years  old.  for  about  twenty  years.  Foi  a  couple  of  years 
he  tried  thf  mercantile  business  For  a  time  he  was  associate  editor  of  the 
Christian  FuTnilij  Magazine,  New  York.  Finally,  studying  theology  with 
Rev.  Hugh  N.  Wilson,  while  principal  of  the  Academy  of  Southampton, 
Long  Island,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel;  and  soon  after,  leaving 
the  Academy,  he  became  pastor  of  the  PresDyterian  church  in  Moriches, 
Oct.  S.  1847.  After  a  successful  pastorate  here  of  about  five  years,  though 
much  interrupted  by  sickness,  he  became  pastor  of  the  church  of  Warrior 
Run,  McEwensville,  Pa.  Two  years  of  service  here  were  all  that  he  could 
perfcjrm.  making  seven  years  of  pastoral  life,  when  he  was  obliged  to  leave 
the  office  never  to  resume  it  again.  About  five  years  more,  spent  at  his 
father's  in  this  village,  ia  the  South,  and  on  Long  Island,  brought  his 
weary  pilgriroasfe  to  a  close  in  the  rest  of  the  grave.  He  died  at  Souih- 
arapton,  Aug.  10,  1859,  aged  4(5  years.  Mr.  Parsons  married  Miss  Maria  H. 
Krown  of  Southampton,  March  S.  IS^S,  and  left  one  son  who  was  since 
drowned.    Mrs   Parsons,  now  Mrs.  Brainerd,  resides  in  Jersey  City. 

f3^Mr.  Hamlin  was  born  in  Moreau.  July  2,  1812;  was  admitted  to  the 
communion  of  the  church  in  Jan.,  1S33;  studied  a  year  with  his  pastor.  Mr. 
Newton,  when  he  became  a  student  in  Barr  Seminary.  Vt.,  for  three  years. 
He  studied  in  the  Gilmantown  Theological  School.  N.  H.,  and  was  licensed 
by  the  Concord  Afsociation.  He  pi  cached  a  year  at  Sandy  Hill,  and  a  year 
at  Jamesville.  Oneida  Co.,  when  he  was  settled  as  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Mattituck,  Lons;  Island.  Here  he  has  remained  a  faithful  and  successful 
shepherd  of  a  confiding  flock  for  more  than  thirty  years. 

fSjMr.  McFarland  was  born  at  Greenwich.  Washington  county,  April  18, 
1823.  He  taught  during  the  winter  of  1842-3  in  the  school  house  near  Mr. 
John  Miller's,  and  became  a  member  of  the  church  in  Glen's  Falls  by  pro- 
fession April,  1S43.    He  prepared  to  enter  the  junior  class  in  Union  College 


66 

George  B.  Barnes(4). 

Edgar  J.  Goodspeed(5),  D.  D. 


iu  the  Glen's  Falls  and  Cambridge  Academies,  and  graduated  in  1849.  He 
studied  theology  in  Princeton  Seminary,  and  was  licensed  by  the  Presby- 
tery of  Troy  in  1851;  wds  ordained,  and  installed  over  ihe  church  iu  Pen- 
field,  by  the  Presbytery  of  Rochester  city,  in  September.  1S.52;  going  West 
he  became  pastor  for  a  time  of  a  church  in  Palestine,  III.:  then  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Parminsrdale,  111,,  where  he  is  pastor  now.  In 
addition  to  the  care  of  his  own  churches,  he  has  performed  much  mission- 
ary work,  organizing  no  less  than  six  churches,  all  of  which  are  now  pros- 
perous. He  served  for  two  years  as  Chaplain  in  the  Union  Army,  without 
relinquishing  the  charge  of  his  church,  to  which  he  returned  again  when 
discharged. 

f4j  Near  the  close  of  the  year  1866,  Mr.  Barnes  introduced  himself  to  me 
at  Glen's  Palls,  as  a  resident  of  Newcomb.  Esses  county.  He  was  born  in 
Turin,  Lewis  county,  September  19.  1S3T.  His  father  was  a  Methodist 
minister;  but  he  desired  to  obtain  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  to  enter  her  ministry.  Accordingly  he  hecamea  member  of  my  church. 
His  education,  other  than  what  he  had  effected  by  private  study,  had  been 
obtainedmainly  at  Potsdam  Academy.  He  had  had  considerable  experience 
in  teaching,  and  had  also  seen  considerable  service  in  the  army.  He  after- 
ward studied  in  Hillsdale  College,  Mich.:  WHS  ordained  by  the  Presbytery 
of  Coldwater  in  1869;  preached  at  Reading,  Qui ncy  and  Three  Rivers,  in 
that  state:  and  he  is  nowpastorelectof  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Adams, 
in  this  state,  where  he  has  been  preaching  the  last  three  years. 

fSjDr.  Goodspeed  was  born  in  Johnsburgh  May  31.  1833  His  parents 
soon  came  to  reside  here;  and  his  father  became  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  His  mother,  an  excellent  woman  and  of  great  force  of 
character,  was  a  Baptist.  Ed^ar  prepared  for  college  at  the  Glen's  Palls 
Academy;  completed  part  of  his  college  course  at  Union;  and  part  at  the 
University  of  Rochester,  where  he  likewise  took  his  theological  course, 
graduating  in  1556.  His  Alma  Mater  gave  him  his  D.  D  iu  1870.  He  has 
been  pastor  in  Poughkeepsie  two  years;  in  Janesville,  Wis.,  six  years;  of 
the  Second  Baptist  Church  of  Chicago  (the  largest  church  of  the  denomina- 
tion in  this  country^  twelve  years  He  has  baptized  more  than  eleven  hun- 
dred persons.  His  health  has  now  failed,  so  that  he  is  unable  to  preach, 
and  be  is  devoting  himself  somewhat  to  authorship.  Although  a  minister 
in  the  Baptist  Church,  we  claim  a  share  in  him.  through  his  father,  and 
through  his  early  rel  'tions  to  our  congregation.  In  a  note  from  him  after 
speakiug  of  the  benefit  which  his  father  derived  from  his  connection  with 
our  church,  especially  from  Sidney  Berry,  one  of  the  elders,  he  says  of 
himself.  "I  was  for  many  years  in  the  Snndav  School,  and  always  attended 
one  preaching  service  of  your  church.  Mr.  Hawley  and  Mr.  Barnes  I  shall 
always  hold  in  sacred  remembrance.  Throngh  my  life  some  of  my  dearest 
friends  have  been  Presbyterians.  I  married  a  ladv.  and  was  married  by  a 
minister,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Dr.  Lord  of  Buffalo.  I  was  educated 
in  part  by  members  of  your  church.  Mr.  Rugge  and  Mr.  McLaren,  both 
eminent  teachers  and  Principals  of  Glen's  Palls  Academy.  No  wonder 
people  have  said,  •  He  preaches  like  a  Presbyterian.'  I  studied  at  Union 
College  under  that  staunch  old  Presbyterian,  Dr.  Nott,  and  one  of  my 
instructors  at  Rochester  was  another,  Chester  Dewey.  I  might  tell  you 
more  of  my  indebtedness  to  your  people,  who  have  furnished  me  some  of 
my  dearest  friends,  and  with  them  I  expect  to  fv.el  quite  at  home,  if  ever  I 
reach  the  general  assembly  of  the  saints  in  Heaven." 


Thomas  W.  Goodspeed(6). 
Amos  Paine  Havvley(7). 
This  church  has  also  furnished  six  wives  of  ministers: 
Jane  Folsom,  daughter  of  John  Folsom,  married  the  Rev.  Caleb 
B.  Tracy. 

Phche  Jane  Picrson,  daughter  of  Eli  Pierson,  married  the  Rev. 
P.  M.  Hitchcock. 

Elizabeth  F.   Berry  daughter  of  Sydney  Berry(8),  married  the 
Rev.  Daniel  Frost. 


fGjThomas  W.  Goodspeed,  a  yonnger  brother  of  the  above,  was  horn  in 
Glen's  Palls,  in  1S42.  and  his  relation  to  ns  in  his  youth  was  quite  similar 
He  graduated  at  the  Chicago  University,  and  the  Rochester  Theological 
Seminary  For  a  time  he  was  pastor  of  a  Baptist  Chnrch  in  Qalncy,  111.; 
afterward  was  associated  with  his  brother  over  the  large  Second  Baptist 
Church  of  Chicago.  He  is  now  laboring  to  raise  an  endowment  for  the 
Theological  Seminary  connected  with  the  Chicago  University. 

(7;.\mos  P  Hawley,  son  of  Alphens  Hawley,  was  born  in  Moreau  about 
the  beginning  of  the  year  1814.  His  father  removing  to  Glen's  Palls  and 
becoming  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  his  youth  was  spent  in 
this  village  and  this  congregation.  He  prepared  for  college  at  Casileton, 
Vermont,  under  the  iustroctiou  of  Solomon  Foot,  afterward  for  so  long  a 
time  United  States  Senator  from  that  State,  and  at  Cambridge  under  Rev. 
Dr.  Prime.  About  the  time  young  Hawley  was  ready  lor  college  his 
father  established  his  home  in  Jamestown,  Chautauqua,  Co.,  and  hence 
the  son  went  to  the  Western  Reserve,  where  he  graduated  in  1834.  He 
studied  theology  at  Auburn,  and  became  pastor  of  a  church  in  Springville, 
Erie  county.  Here  he  labored  very  successfully  for  several  years  when  an 
accident  cut  short  the  career  of  usefulness  in  the  church,  upon  which  he 
was  80  well  qualified.  His  parishiouers  had  gone  into  the  woods,  and 
he  with  them,  to  cut  and  draw  for  him  his  year's  fuel.  By  some  mistake  a 
heavy  tree  fell  upon  Mr.  Hawley.  crushing  and  mangling  him  terribly. 
After  a  long  time  he  recovered;  but  he  was  a  cripple,  and  one  lung  had 
been  entirely  destroyed.  He  afterward  entered  into  business,  and  seldom 
made  any  attempt  to  preach.  He  died  in  Jersey  City,  Feb.  26,  187G,  aged 
62  years. 

fSjNo  history  of  the  church  or  village  of  Glen's  Palls  would  be  just  or 
complete  which  did  not  make  distinct  mention  of  Captain  Sydney  Berry. 
Born  in  that  part  of  Northumberland  which  was  afterwards  set  off  as 
Moreau.  Sept  12,  17S3,  he  c  ime  to  Glen's  Palls  about  the  year  1830.  Son- 
in-law  of  Mr.  Folsom,  he  came  to  be  his  neighbor  for  the  rest  of  their  lives, 
and  preceded  him  in  his  departure  just  three  months— both  dying  in  the 
summer  of  183!),  He  bimght  of  Alpheus  Hawley  the  place  which  he  greatly 
improved,  where  he  lived  with  his  family,  and  which  has  ever  since  been 
known  as  the  Berry  Placi.  The  .«treet  which  bears  his  name  he  opened 
and  graded,  and  built  entirely  at  his  own  expense  the  brick  school-house 
at  its  East  end,  which  was  occupied  as  a  Ladies'  Seminary.  Possessing 
great  enterprise  he  became  for  those  days  and  this  place  a  man  of  wealth, 
and  loved  to  give  himself,  as  he  likewise  loved  to  induce  others  to  do.  He 
is  said  to  have  pledged  himsel'  to  pay  one  fifth  part  of  all  the  expenses  of 
the  church  of  bis  choice:  and  he  always  did  more  than  he  promised.    He 


Sarah  Eugenia  Peck,  daughter  of  Darius  Peck,  married  the  Rev. 
Horace  G.  Mason. 

I  Marv  Ann  TaUmadge,  daughter  of  Sam'l  Tallmadge,    married 

the  Rev.  E.  W.  Root. 

Mary  R.  McKimiey,  daughter  of  William  McKinney,    married 
the  Rev.  J.  H.  Stewart. 

was  elected  a  Ruling  Elder  immediately  on  his  entering  the  church  here, 
which  office  he  filled  with  greater  acceptance  and  efficiency  until  his  death. 
Capt.  Berry  had  been  dead  geven  years  when  the  writer  came  to  Glen's 
Fails  ;  but  it  was  easy  to  see,  and  it  is  easy  yet  to  see,  that  when  he  departed 
to  the  higher  life,  the  community  lost  a  very  genial  and  public  spirited 
man,  and  the  church  a  very  earnest,  liberal  member. 


The  following  was  the  prof I'ssion  of  faith  and  covetiant  adopted 
at  the  organization  of  the  church  : 

We  believe  th^t  there  is  one  self-existent,  independent  and  eternal 
God,  who  possesses  all  possible  glory  and  excellency  ;  and  who  is  the 
Creator,  Preserver,  and  Governor  of  the  universe. 

We  believe  that  there  are  three  distinct  persons  in  the  Godhead, 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  and  that  these  three  are 
one  God,  the  same  in  substance,  and  equal  in  power  and  glory. 

We  believe  that  the  .Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  are 
the  word  of  God,  and  the  only  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 

We  believe  that  man  was  originally  created  in  a  state  of  holiness,  but 
has  since  fallen  into  a  state  of  sin,  in  consequence  of  which  he  has 
exposed  himself  to  the  wrath  and  curse  of  God,  both  in  this  life  and 
that  which  is  to  come. 

We  believe  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  second  person  in  the 
adorable  Trinity,  has  actually  assumed  our  nature,  and  by  his 
obedience,  sufferings  and  death  has  made  atonement  for  sin  in  our 
stead  ;  and  is  now  exalted  at  God's  right  hand,  to  be  a  prince  and  a 
Saviour,  to  grant  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  to  all  who  come 
unto  God  through  him. 

We  believe  in  the  doctrines  of  regeneration,  repentance  and  faith, 
and  if  ever  we  are  saved,  it  will  be  owing  to  the  free,  rich,  and 
sovereign  grace  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ. 

We  believe  in  the  final  perseverance  of  the  saints,  in  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead,  and  in  a  future  Judgment. 

We  believe  that  at  the  last  day  the  Lord  Jesus  will  descend  from 
heaven  with  a  shout,  and  with  the  voice  of  the  Archangel  and 
trump  of  God  ;  and  that  he  will  then  summon  the  whole  human 
race  to  appear  before  him  ;  and  doom  the  wicked  to  everlasting 
destruction,  and  crown  the  righteous  with  immortal  glory. 

In  the  view  of  all  these  great,  interesting  and  solemn  tnuhs,  we 
do  publicly  renounce  all  our  sins,  and  solemnly  dedicate  ourselves 
to  God,  avouching  the  Lord'Jehovah  to  be  our  God,  to  walk  in  his 
ways,  to  keep  his  statutes,  and  hearken  to  his  voice  ;  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  to  be  our  Saviour  and  glorious  Advocate  with  the  Father; 
the  Holy  Ghost  to  be  our  Sanctifier  and  Comforter,  and  the  people 


70 


of  (loci  to  be  our  brethren — Covenanting  to  walk  with  them  in  the 
ordinances  and  institutions  of  the  gospel,  and  engaging  in  the 
strength  of  divine  peace,  that  we  will  walk  before  God  in  holiness 
and  righteousness  all  the  days  of  our  future  lives,  si>bmitting  ourselves 
to  the  watch,  care  and  discipline  of  Christ  in  this  Church. 

The  foregoing  was  used  as  a  form  of  admission  to  the  church 
till  1857,  when  it  was  superseded  by  the  following,  which  in  turn 
now  gives  place  to  the  form  adopted  by  the  present  session,  and  which 
seems  better  to  accord  with  the  principles  and  genius  of  our  church, 
than  either  of  the  others  :     [See  page  42.] 

You  believe,  that  there  is  one  God{\);  who  is  a  Spirit(2),  selt- 
existent(3)  and  Eternal(4),  and  who  is  the  Creator(5),  Preserver(6) 
and  Governor(7)  of  the  Universe. 

You  believe  that  God  exists  in  three  persons— Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Ghost— who  are  of  the  same  sulwtance,  and  each  infinite  in 
every  perfection(8). 

You  believe,  that  the  Bible,  written  by  Inspiration(9),  is  the  word 
of  God — is  the  test  of  all  creeds,  the  only  rule  of  Faith  and 
Practice(io). 

fl;Deut.  6:  4— The  Lord  oar  God  is  one  Lord.  1.  Cor.  8:  4— We  know 
that  an  idol  is  nothing  in  the  wor  d,  aud  that  there  is  none  other  God  but 
one. 

faj.Tohn  4 :  24— Gnd  is  a  spirit :  and  thev  that  worship  him,  must  worship 
him  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

f.Sj.I()hn  5:  26— The  Father  hath  life  in  himself. 

f4;Ps.  90:  2— Bofore  the  mountains  were  brought,  forth,  or  ever  thou 
hadst  ft)rmed  ihe  earth  and  the  world,  even  from  everlasting  to  everlasting 
thou  art  God. 

C5jGen.  1 :  1— God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth. 

(G^Col,  1 :  17— By  him  all  things  consist. 

fTjOan.  4:  35— Hedneth  according  to  his  will,  in  the  army  of  heaven,  and 
among  the.  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 

C8;Malt  28:19 — Go  ye  therefore  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them 
in  the  nirae  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  II 
Cor  13  :  14— The  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of  God.  and 
the  coramiiiiion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you  all.  T.John  5:  7— There 
are  three  that,  beai  record  in  heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  ,and  these  three  are  one. 

f9jll.  Tim.  3:  16— All  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God. 

flO^Tsa.  8:  2^- To  the  law  and  to  the  testimony;  if  they  speak  not 
according  to  this  word,  it  is  because  there  is  no  light  in  them. 


71 


Vou  believe,  that  man  was  created  in  astate  of  holiness(i),  but  he 
has  fallen  into  a  state  of  sin(2);  that,  since  the  fall,  by  nature,  all 
men  become  actual  transgressors,  are  under  condemnation,  and 
exposed  to  the  curse  of  CJod  without  end(3). 

Vou  believe,  that  the  Lord  Jesu.i  Christ  took  on  himself  our 
nature(4),  without  sin(5)— was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
born  of  the  Vn-gin  Mary (6);  that  by  his  obedience,  suffering  and 
death,  he  made  atonement  for  sin(7) ;  that  he  rose  from  the  dead(8)  and 
ascended  into  heaven(9),  where,  as  our  High  Priest,  he  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession  for  us(io):  So  that  now,  God  is  just,  while  of 
his  Grace(ii),  he  freely  justifies  all  who  repent  of  sm,  and  believe  in 
the  Lord  Jesus(i2);  and  all  who  are  not  saved,  perish  through  their 
own  unbelief  and  impenitence(i3). 

You  believe,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  has  been  sent  into  world,  to 
incline  sinners  to  repentance(l4),  to  effect  the  regeneration  of  those 

tljGen.  1  27— God  created  man  in  his  own  image. 

(2;  Rom.  3:  23— All  have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God. 

fSjRom.  S:  7— Thecanial  mind  isenmity  against  God.  Eph.2  ;  3— We 

were  by  nature  the  children  of  wrath. 

(4j  John  1 :  14— The  Word  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us. 

(5jHeb.  4  :  15— Was  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin. 

(6; See  Luke  1  chap. 

CTjIsa.  42.  21 — He  will  magnify  the  law,  and  make  it  honorable.  Isa. 
53:5— He  was  woundel  for  our  transgre=;-<ii)ns,  he  was  bruised  for  oar 
iniquities;  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him;  and  with  his 
stripes  we  are  healed 

(S^I.  Cor.  15  :  4— He  rose  again  the  third  day,  according  to  the  scriptures. 

C9)Mark  16,  19— He  was  received  up  into  heaven. 

fIO;Heb  7:  25— He  is  able  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto 
God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them. 

flljRom  3;  24— Beingjustified  freely  by  his  grace  through  the  redemption 
that  is  in  Cbrist  Jesus. 

a2jRom.  3:  25.  26— Whom  God  hath  set  forth to  declare  his  righteous- 
ness, that  he  might  be  just,  and  the  jastifler  of  him  which  believeth  in 
Jesus. 

(13jHeb.  2,  9— Jesus  ...made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels that  he 

by  the  grace  of  God  should  taste  death  for  every  man. 

f14;John  16:  7,  S— The  Comforter...  I  will  send  him  unto  yon.  And 
when  he  is  come  he  will  reprove  the  world  of  siu.  arid  of  righteousness, 
and  of  judgment  John  C  :  44— No  man  can  come  to  me  except  the  Father 
which  hath  sent  me  draw  him. 


who    have    been  chosen  in  Christ [i],  and  to    sanctifiy    those    who 
have  been  justified  [2]. 

You  believe,  that  those  who  have  l^een  born  of  the  Spirit,  are 
created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works  [3];  and  that  the  true 
evidence  of  being  a  child  of  God,  is  a  hearty  perseverance  in  duty 
and  in  faith,  to  the  end  of  life  [4]. 

You  believe,  that  Christ  will  come  again,  at  the  end  of  time [5]! 
that  he  will  then  raise  the  dead  [6],  and  judge  mankind  [7] ;  that  he 
will  receive  the  righteous  into  heaven  [8],  and  consign  the  wicked  to 
hell  [9] ;  and  that  this  separation  will  be  eternal  [10]. 

These  truths  you  profess  to  believe  ? 

[The  candiditi  »  ht-re  t-isiTiifv  their  usisent  ] 

Those  who  have  not  been  baptized  here  step  forward,  and  while 
they  are  hieeling  the  minister  asks:     Will  you  be  BAPTIZED  IN  the 


[l]Jnhii  6:  37— All  that  the  Father  giveth  me  shall  come  to  me.  John  1-13 
—Which  were  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will 
of  mun.  bat  of  God 

[2]II  Thes.  2:13— God  hath  from  the  hesinrsins;  chosen  yon  to  salvation, 
thro-  sanctiflcatioii  of  the  Spirit  and  belief  of  truth. 

[3]Eph.  2:  10— We  are  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto 
good  works.  Eph.  4  :  2t— Put  on  the  new  man,  which  after  God  is  created 
m  righteousness  and  true  holiness. 

[4]I  John  2  :  li)— They  went  out  from  us.  hut  they  were  not  of  n*  ;  for  if 
they  had  been  of  us.  they  would  fno  doubt)  have  continued  with  us  John 
111:  5.  27.  28— And  a  stranger  will  thev  not  follow,  but  will  flee  from  him- 
for  they  know  not  the  voice  of  strangers..., My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and 
I  know  them,  and  they  follow  me :  and  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life  •  and 
they  5hall  never  perish,  n.-ither  shall  any  man  pluck  them  out  of  my  hands 
I  Pet.  1  :  .5-Who  are  kept  by  the  po\rer  of  <;od  through  faith  unto 
salvation. 

[5]  Acts  1:  11— This  same  Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  yon  into  heaven 
shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven. 

[r.]John  .5:  28,  29— Marvel  not  at  this:  for  the  honr  is  comino-  in  the 
which  all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  forth. 

[7]John  5 :  22— The  Father  jndgeth  no  man,  but  hath  committed  all: 
judgment  unto  the  Son.  II.  Cor.  5:  10— We  must  all  appear  before  the 
judgment  seat  of  Chist, 

[S]Matt  25:  34— Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom 
prepared  foi  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world 

[9]  Matt.  25:  41— Depart  from  me.  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire  prepared 
for  the  devil  and  his  angels. 

[10]Matt.  25  :  46— And  these  shall  go  away  icto  everlasting  puLishment 
but  the  righteous  into  life  etern.il. 

The  Session  expect  that  persons  joining  the  church,  will  well  consider 
and  study  the  foregoing  articles  and  proof-texts- that  their  profession, 
may  be,  not  only  hearty  but  intelligent. 


73 


FAITH  YOU  HAVE  JUST  PROFESSED?  To  which  each  amwering.  That 
IS  MY  desire;  he  proceeds  to  baptize  them,  spritikling  wattr  vp07i  their 
foreheads,  accompanying  it  with  the  ttsiial  for7n  of  words.  This 
done,  and  all  standing,  the  minister  addresses  them  : 

And  now,  in  connection  with  this  profession  of  your  faith,  you  do 
call  God  and  those  here  present  to  witness,  that  you  sincerely  and 
heartily  renounce  every  sinful  way,  and  unreservedly  devote  yourself 
to  the  service  of  ilie  Lord.  You  receive  the  Father  who  made  you  as 
your  Father  ;  the  Son  who  died  for  you,  as  your  Saviour  ;  the  Holy 
Ghost,  who,  as  you  believe,  has  renewed  your  heart,  as  your 
Sanctifier.  You  come  out  Irom  the  world,  and  join  yourselves  to  the 
people  of  God,  and  especially  to  this  church.  You  receive  its 
members  as  your  brethren,  desinng  to  live  with  them  in  christian 
fellowship  and  charity.  You  promise  to  sanctify  the  Lord's  day  ; 
to  statedly  attend  the  public  worship  oi  the  Sanctuary  ;  to  observe 
the  Sacraments  ;  to  live  in  the  exercise  of  secret  and  sccial  prayer  ; 
to  contribute  for  the  support  of  tTie  institutions  of  religion— to  live, 
as  humble  christians,  striving  to  perfect  holiness  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord,  submitting  yourselves  to  the  care  and  discipline  of  this  church 
until  by  the  providence  of  God  you  are  removed. 

Relying  on  divine   grace  for  all  needed  aid,    thus  you   covenant 
with  God  and  this  church  ? 

[The  caiididHtes  {live  their af.'ect.  The  chcrcb  rises  ] 
And  now  we  cordially  welcome  you  to  our  fellowship,  and  to  a 
participation  with  us  in  the  duties  and  toils,  thejoys  and  blessings  of 
the  gospel.  We  promise  you  our  sympathy  and  counsel— we  ask 
yours  in  return.  Let  us  strive  together  to  grow  in  grace,  going  on 
unto  perfection  :  then,  at  length,  entirely  ransom.ed,  we  shall  be 
crowned  with  the  glory  and  triumph  of  the  heavenly  world. 


7,'"«ton   TheoloQ 


Sfi  Seminary  Libra 


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